{"id":101000,"date":"2025-08-22T04:29:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T04:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/101000\/"},"modified":"2025-08-22T04:29:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T04:29:08","slug":"spacex-set-to-launch-secretive-x-37b-space-plane-tonight-from-kennedy-space-center-wftv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/101000\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX set to launch secretive X-37B Space Plane tonight from Kennedy Space Center \u2013 WFTV"},"content":{"rendered":"

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 If you live in Central Florida, you may hear a sonic boom tonight. <\/p>\n

SpaceX is scheduled to launch the U.S. Space Force\u2019s X-37B orbital test vehicle on its eighth mission at 11:50 p.m. from Kennedy Space Center. <\/p>\n

The launch, designated USSF-36, will lift off on a Falcon 9 rocket. <\/p>\n

Following stage separation, the first stage will land on SpaceX\u2019s Landing Zone 2 (LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. <\/p>\n

Most of the mission is classified, but officials say it will test next-generation technology, including a new quantum inertial sensor that could allow spacecraft to navigate without GPS, and advanced laser communications systems designed to boost speed and security for space-based networks.<\/p>\n

The X-37B is known for its long, secretive flights. If weather conditions delay tonight\u2019s attempt, a backup launch opportunity is available Friday at the same time.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here<\/a> to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

TOP STORIES FROM WFTV CHANNEL 9<\/p>\n

\u00a92025 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 If you live in Central Florida, you may hear a sonic boom tonight. SpaceX…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":101001,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[37534,37532,2808,13677,79,193,37531,37533],"class_list":["post-101000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-space","tag-central-florida","tag-channel-9","tag-florida","tag-orlando","tag-science","tag-space","tag-wftv","tag-wftv-channel-9"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101000"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101000\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/101001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}