X-37b Mission 8 Launched – Military Winged Ship Update

Today, August 22, 2025 at 03:50 UTC took off the eighth mission of the only winged ship that currently has the United States: the X-37B military plane. The mission, called OTV-8 (Orbital Test Vehicle 8) y USSF-36 (US Space Force 36) took off from the 39A ramp of the Kennedy Space Center (Florida) through a Falcon 9 Block 5 with the X-37B No. 1. The first stage B1092 was recovered for the sixth time and landed without problems on the LZ-2 platform on the Cabo Cabo Cañaveral. This is the third mission of the X-37B launched by a Falcon after the OTV-5 and the OTV-7 and the 2nd launched by a Falcon 9, since the OTV-7 used a heavy falcon (the rest of the OTV missions have used the ULA V 501 Atlas V 501).

Although the details of the orbit are, logically, secret, it is estimated that the X-37B OTV-8 was located in an orbit of about 400 kilometers of altitude and about 50º of inclination, slightly more inclined than the rest of the Missions of the X-37B, located most between 40º and 45º, with the exception of the OTV-6, 55º, and the OTV-7 It was launched in an elliptical orbit with a very high heyday (323 x 38 800 kilometers and 60º inclination). Apparently, the ship of this mission is the X-37B No. 1, that is, the first copy of the two built. Although the pentagon does not make public which copy makes each mission, the two ships have slight differences in the thermal shield and can be visually identified, which allows to confirm which vehicle flies in each mission. The two ships have been turning to make the flights, except in the OTV-4 and OTV-5 missions, both in charge of the X-37B No. 2.

The X-37B program accumulates 4208 days in space in the previous seven missions. According to the US space force. UU., The unscathed objectives of this mission are to carry out demonstrations of communication technologies between satellites through infrared lasers with a high bandwidth – a clear reference to Starlink, although it could also be related to the Starshield military constellation – and try an in -significant quantial sensor of high performance for an improved navigation that can replace or complement the GPS system in case of conflict. The rest of the experiments and applications, if they exist, are secret. It is important to remember that any espionage mission in charge of the X-37B can be done in a cheaper and easiest way with conventional satellites. The main advantage of using an winged ship, the change of orbital parameters by hypersonic maneuvers in the high atmosphere, only tested on the OTV-7 mission. The other advantage is the reuse of instruments, but let’s not forget that the loading and volume capacity of the X-37B is very limited and, in addition, it is not clear that it is not cheaper to build these hypothetical instruments for several disposable missions. Whatever the real objective of this ship, it is clear that the Pentagon considers that it is a useful project and continues to bet on it.

The Missions of the X-37B have been very long, the OTV-1, with 225 days, and the most durable the OTV-6, with 909 days. The X-37B is the only winged spacecraft in the United States, but not the world, because we remember that China has a similar ship, which, for the moment, is known by the aseptic name of “reusable experimental ship” (重复使用试验航天器, óóù ǎǐ hánghtānik qì) or CSSHQ for its acronym in Mandarin. The CSSHQ has made three missions, all of them by rockets CZ-2f/t launched from Jiuquan, with a duration of 2, 276 and 268 days, respectively. Interestingly, the orbital inclination of the Missions of the CSSHQ has been 50º, similar to those of the X-37B, although in different planes. The design of the Chinese ship is, apparently, very similar to X-37B, but it is larger and has striking differences, especially in the shape of the wings. The military utility of the Chinese ship is equally questionable as in the case of its American counterpart, but in the case of China only the technological aspect already justifies its development, because while the US has a great experience with reusable ships, the CSSHQ is the first Chinese spacecraft with wings, the first reusable and the first endowed with a thermal shield that is not ability. Interestingly, both nations are also developing winged civilians, but to take load to space stations. USA Haolong To take charge to the Chinese space station (there are other similar development projects in both countries, but for the moment they are far from being a reality).

The X-37B, built by Boeing, was born in 1999 as a NASA civil program, but was transferred to the military in 2004. It has an approximate mass of 5500 kg and dimensions of 8.9 meters long and 2.9 meters wide, with an alar wingsheet of 4.5 meters. It has a thermal shield (TPS) of tiles and thermal protection fabrics very similar to those of NASA’s space ferry, although the areas subjected to the highest temperatures are protected by tufroc tiles (Unipiece Fibrous Reinforced Oxidation Resistant Composite) of the NASA AMES Center, instead of using carbon-carbon tiles used by the shuttle. It carries a solar drop-down solar panel of Gallium Arseniuro in the cargo cellar and uses a main R-4D engine based on hypergolic fuels (the same engine used in the CSM Apollo thrusters). From the OTV-6 mission, at least officially, the X-37B incorporates a disposable service module coupled to the rear of the vehicle that is destroyed in the reentry. It is not known if this module has been used in this mission.

American X-37b and Chinese CSSHQ ship:

• OTV-1 (USA-212): launched on April 20, 2010 through an Atlas V 501 and had a duration of 225 days. The X-37B specimen nº 1. orbit of 400 km and 40º of inclination was used. Landing on track 12 of the Vandenberg base (California).
• OTV-2 (USA-226): launched on March 5, 2011 by an Atlas V 501 and was in orbit for 469 days (first flight of the X-37b No. 2). Low orbit of 41.9º. Landing on track 12 of the Vandenberg base (California).
• OTV-3 (USA-240): launched on December 11, 2012 with an Atlas V 501 and lasted for 675 days (second flight of the X-37b No. 1). Low orbit of 43.5º. Landing on track 12 of the Vandenberg base (California).
• OTV-4 (USA-261): launched on March 20, 2015 by an Atlas V 501 and was in orbit for 718 days (second flight of the X-37B No. 2). Low orbit of 43.5º. Landing on track 15 of the SLF (Shuttle Landing Facility) of the Kennedy Space Center (Florida).
• OTV-5 (USA-277): launched on September 7, 2017 through a Falcon 9 V1.2, with a duration of 780 days (third flight of X-37b No. 2). Low orbit of 54.5º. First launch of the X-37B through a Falcon 9. At least in this mission the pentagon has recognized that several secret satellites were put into orbit. Landing on track 33 of the SLF (Shuttle Landing Facility) of the Kennedy Space Center (Florida).
• OTV-6 (USA-299, USSF-7): launched on May 17, 2020 through an Atlas V 501 with a duration of 909 days (third flight of X-37b No. 1). First mission with an coupled service module (officially). The Falconsat-8 was put into orbit, coupled to the service module. Low orbit of 44.6º. Landing on track 33 of the SLF (Shuttle Landing Facility) of the Kennedy Space Center (Florida).
• CSSHQ-1: launched on September 4, 2020 through a CZ-2F/T from Jiuquan and had a duration of 2 days. First launch of the Chinese reusable wingable orbital ship. 50º orbit. Landing on the track of Lop Nor (Xinjiang).
• CSSHQ-2: launched on August 4, 2022 through a CZ-2F/T from Jiuquan and had a duration of 276 days. Second launch of the Chinese reusable wingable orbital ship. The ship displayed the same satellite twice and returned it to Earth. 50º orbit. Landing on the track of Lop Nor (Xinjiang).
• CSSHQ-3: launched on December 14, 2023 through a CZ-2F/T from Jiuquan and had a duration of 268 days. Third launch of the Chinese reusable wingable orbital ship. 50º orbit. He deployed 7 objects in orbit and performed several orbital maneuvers. Landing on September 6, 2024 in LOP NOR around 01:00 UTC.
• OTV-7 (USSF-52): launched on December 29, 2023 through a Heavy Falcon with a duration of 434 days (fourth flight of the X-37B No. 2). First release through a heavy Falcon. Possible elliptical orbit with a peak of more than 38,800 km and 51º inclination. Landing at the Vandenberg base (California).