US’s Mysterious Aircraft Takes Quantum Navigation Technology to Space

Metaverse Planet July 31, 2025Last Updated: November 3, 2025

0 1 minute read

The U.S. Space Force’s mysterious X-37B spaceplane is set to begin its new mission in August. This mission will test quantum navigation and satellite laser communication technologies.

The U.S. Space Force’s mysterious X-37B spaceplane is preparing for a new mission launch into space. This small, Space Shuttle-like unmanned spacecraft will lift off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket at the end of August. On its previous flight, the X-37B reached high Earth orbit with a Falcon Heavy rocket, which offers greater capacities.

This will be the eighth flight for the X-37B program. The vehicle will increase its experimental capacity thanks to an accompanying service module. The mission will test high-bandwidth inter-satellite laser communication technologies. General Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations for the Space Force, emphasized that this laser communication is a critical step to make U.S. space networks more resilient, reliable, and fast.

Quantum Navigation Technology to Be Tested

However, another prominent innovation in this mission will be the quantum-based inertial navigation system, developed for GPS-denied environments. This technology, developed by Boeing, precisely measures movement and rotation using atom interferometry. This “highest-performance quantum inertial sensor,” to be tested in space, will provide precise positioning, navigation, and timing capabilities in challenging environments where GPS signals are unavailable or jammed.

The importance of quantum navigation technologies has been steadily increasing recently. This technology will be a critical element for navigation in areas where GPS is disrupted or unusable, as most modern armies can now jam GPS signals. Additionally, this system could play a significant role in exploration activities in areas without GPS signals, such as around the Moon, and in the depths of the solar system. The X-37B is approximately 9 meters long and a quarter the size of NASA’s Space Shuttle. Detailed explanations about the mysterious X-37B’s technical specifications and missions have never been provided. The information given for this mission is also quite limited. Furthermore, previous X-37B missions have lasted from 434 days to 908 days and conducted tests in different orbits.