What is more classified than a spaceplane belonging to the military? A spaceplane from the military testing quantum navigation and laser communications in orbit. The U.S. Space Force’s X‑37B Orbital Test Vehicle will soar off the Kennedy Space Center on a SpaceX Falcon 9 on Aug. 21, launching its eighth mission one that combines state-of-the-art physics with future-generation communications architecture.
Manufactured by Boeing, the X‑37B is the world’s only self-contained, reusable orbital spaceplane. Though its shape is reminiscent of the retired shuttle, its flights are generally longer frequently 12 to 24 months and classified. Since its introduction in 2010, the program has spent over 4,200 days in space and over 1.3 billion orbital miles. Its longest individual flight, OTV-6, lasted 908 days. The craft is launched in an encapsulated carbon composite fairing, returns on a runway landing, and has practiced sophisticated maneuvers like aerobraking to change orbit without burning huge quantities of fuel.
The headline technologies on OTV‑8 are a high‑bandwidth inter‑satellite laser communications system and what Space Force calls “the highest performing quantum inertial sensor in space.” The laser demonstration will link with proliferated commercial satellite networks in low Earth orbit, a move aimed at eliminating single points of failure in U.S. space architectures. As Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, stated, “OTV‑8’s laser communications demonstration will mark an important step in the U.S. Space Force’s ability to leverage proliferated space networks as part of a diversified and redundant space architectures.”
Laser communications provide an increase in performance compared to legacy radio frequency (RF) systems. By transmitting data in near-infrared photons, they can reach throughputs of more than 10 Gbps, versus RF’s upper limit of around 1 Gbps. The beamwidth of laser links decreases the likelihood of detection and intercept, and their jam-resistance makes them promising for military applications. NASA’s TBIRD payload, for instance, has attained 200 Gbps downlinks, sending 3.6 terabytes in only six minutes. Such ability would revolutionize satellite constellations, enabling low Earth orbit platforms to transfer enormous datasets to geostationary relays without awaiting ground station passes.
If the laser link is all about speed and security, then the quantum inertial sensor is all about autonomy. Traditional inertial navigation systems (INS) employ accelerometers and gyroscopes to detect motion, but their precision suffers with time due to drift, necessitating regular GPS updates. On the other hand, the X‑37B’s quantum sensor uses atom interferometry: atoms chilled to almost absolute zero are separated into superposition states using lasers, traveled down two paths, and combined. The interference pattern that forms holds tiny variations in acceleration and spin. Since atoms are indistinguishable and resistant to mechanical degradation, these sensors can be kept accurate for long periods of time without external reference.
Col. Ramsey Horn, commander of Space Delta 9, emphasized the operational stakes: “Whether navigating beyond Earth based orbits in cislunar space or operating in GPS‑denied environments, quantum inertial sensing allows for robust navigation capabilities when GPS navigation is not possible.” In military terms, that resilience is critical in scenarios where GPS signals might be jammed, spoofed, or simply unavailable whether in deep space, underwater, or in contested terrestrial theaters.
X‑37B’s test will be the first deployment of such an advanced quantum navigation unit into long‑duration space missions. Earlier spaceborne atom interferometers, such as NASA’s Cold Atom Laboratory, demonstrated the physics but not the operationally relevant navigational viability. This mission is intended to bridge that gap, taking quantum sensing from laboratory demonstration to aerospace field‑ready hardware.
The partnership behind OTV‑8 highlights the intersection of military, commercial, and research domains. The Defense Innovation Unit and Air Force Research Laboratory are offering mission payloads, while launch capability comes courtesy of SpaceX. Boeing’s design features a service module to increase payload space, which allows for more ambitious experiments. Vice President Michelle Parker of Boeing Space Mission Systems observed, “With each successive flight, the X‑37B has demonstrated adaptability and flexibility by hosting diverse experiments and pioneering new orbital regimes.”
In an age where communications and navigation are strategic high ground, the technologies along for the ride on this “not-so-secret” spaceplane can revolutionize how spacecraft communicate and coordinate with each other and themselves without depending on vulnerable Earth-based networks.
