A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully lifted off late Thursday night, carrying the United States military’s highly classified X-37B orbital drone into space.
The launch, which took place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, occurred at 11:50 p.m. local time (0350 GMT Friday) and was broadcast live on SpaceX’s official stream. The rocket lit up the night sky as it powered the spacecraft into orbit.
According to the US Space Force, the mission—known as X-37B Mission 8—will focus on “a wide range of test and experimentation objectives.”
“These operational demonstrations and experiments comprise next-generation technologies including laser communications and the highest performing quantum inertial sensor ever tested in space,” the military said in a statement released last month.
It added that, “Mission 8 will contribute to improving the resilience, efficiency, and security of US space-based communications architectures.”
The X-37B, about the size of a small bus, resembles a scaled-down version of NASA’s space shuttles, which were retired in 2011. Since its first flight in 2010, the unmanned vehicle—formally called the Orbital Test Vehicle—has been used to conduct classified missions, some in collaboration with NASA.
Built for the US Air Force by United Launch Alliance, the craft is 30 feet (nine meters) long with a wingspan of 15 feet and is powered by solar arrays.
