SpaceX to Launch U.S. Space Force's Secret X-37B Space Plane

The U.S. Space Force and SpaceX are preparing to launch the X-37B spaceplane on its eighth mission, USSF-36, atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center, with weather conditions currently favorable despite Hurricane Erin nearby. The mission will demonstrate advanced communication and navigation technologies, including laser communication and quantum inertial sensors, and marks the third time a Falcon rocket has launched an X-37B. The launch is scheduled for late Thursday night, with a successful booster landing expected at Cape Canaveral.