Can one, unmanned spaceplane spend more than 4,200 days in orbit, peaceably making records and shaping the future of military and civilian space operations? The Boeing-produced X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle,

It’s unclear how long OTV-8 will last, but if past missions are any indication, the unpiloted plane will remain above the planet for a while. X-37B’s most recent mission launched on December 28, 2023 and returned after 434 days in orbit. Its longest mission (OTV-6) took place from December 28, 2023, to March 7, 2025, and lasted 908 days.

The U.S. Space Force will launch the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle on Aug. 21, 2025, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The U.S. Space Force announced that

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, an experimental spaceplane developed by Boeing, is preparing to launch its eighth mission for space experiments.

BA]-built X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) is preparing to launch its eighth mission (OTV-8) from Florida's Space Coast, with liftoff scheduled no earlier than August 21. This milestone comes less than six months after the successful completion of OTV-7.

The U.S. Space Force will experiment with laser communications and quantum sensing aboard a secretive Boeing-made spaceplane slated for launch this summer. Why it matters: Much of the work executed by the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle is classified.

This mission will test the aircraft's GPS-denied navigation capabilities and hardened, laser-based communication systems.

The U.S. Space Force and Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office will launch the eighth X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle mission in August.