Boeing to launch X-37B drone with powerful quantum inertial sensor

MIAMI—The X-37B unmanned aircraft that Boeing designed for the U.S. Space Force will travel next August with the most powerful quantum inertial sensor ever flown, on what will be its eighth mission and will depart from central Florida.

The use of the novel sensor will enable precise navigation, even in areas where GPS currently doesn't work, a key technology for future missions in deep space, beyond Earth orbit, and in regions such as cislunar space, between Earth and the Moon.

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The launch of the so-called OTV-8 mission is planned for no earlier than August 21 from Florida's Space Coast, Boeing announced Monday.

“ The demonstration of OTV-8’s quantum inertial sensor is a welcome step forward for the Guardians’ operational resilience in space ,” said Colonel Ramsey Hom, commander of the Space Delta 9 space forces unit, in a statement.

A quantum inertial sensor is a device that uses principles of quantum mechanics to accurately measure an object's motion, such as its acceleration, rotation, or relative position, without the need for GPS or other external signals.

The X-37B, which functions as an orbiting laboratory, will launch with an additional service module that allows for expanded number and complexity of onboard experiments.

On this new mission, the Orbital Test Vehicle will test other advanced technologies, including demonstrations of high-speed, high-bandwidth intersatellite laser communication technologies.

"In doing so, it will strengthen the resilience, reliability, adaptability, and data transport speeds of our satellite communications architectures," said Chance Saltzman, Space Force Chief of Space Operations.

“This mission continues that legacy by deploying cutting-edge technologies that advance our nation’s space capability and enhance the resilience of future architectures,” said Michelle Parker, vice president of Boeing Space Mission Systems.

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The launch will take place from Boeing's Kennedy Space Center facility on Florida's Space Coast, six months after the completion of its previous mission (OTV-7), the first on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket to a highly elliptical orbit, which successfully landed on March 7 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California using the novel aerodynamic brake maneuver.

Since its first flight in 2010, the X-37B has spent more than 4,200 days in space, and this new program represents an important step in improving the flexibility and autonomy of U.S. military and scientific space systems.