Florida, United States – The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched into space carrying the secret US Army X-37B unmanned spacecraft on its eighth mission.
The missile was launched at 04:50 GMT on Friday, according to SpaceX.
The Falcon 9 rocket lit up the sky above NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
The US Space Force announced that the drone’s mission includes a wide range of targets for testing and experimentation.
“These demonstrations and operational trials include next-generation technologies,” the force said in a statement last month.
This includes laser communications and the “highest quantum sensor” being tested in space.
She added, “Mission 8 will contribute to improving the flexibility and efficiency of American space communications”.
The spaceplane is the size of a minibus, and looks like a miniature version of the manned space shuttle that was decommissioned in 2011.
In previous missions, the plane conducted tests for NASA.
