What is the top-secret 'X-37B space plane' that Boeing is building?

At first glance, it looks like a miniature version of NASA’s retired Space Shuttle. But the X-37B is no ordinary spacecraft. It’s a top-secret, unmanned spaceplane built by Boeing for the US Space Force and its real mission remains one of the most mysterious stories in modern aerospace. The X-37B isn’t just a science experiment. It’s a potential game-changer in military space tech, orbiting silently for years, doing who-knows-what above our heads. So, what exactly is the X-37B? And why is the world watching it closely?

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) is about 29 feet long, roughly the size of a small bus and runs on solar power. Unlike traditional rockets or capsules, this spacecraft launches vertically but lands like a plane, gliding back to Earth autonomously. It can stay in orbit for over two years at a time without anyone on board. One of its most recent missions, OTV-6, stayed in space for 908 days straight, conducting experiments, testing materials, and maybe doing more than it admits.

The biggest question surrounding the X-37B is what it’s actually doing up there. Officially, the US government says it's testing navigation systems, advanced heat shielding, autonomous landing tech, and experimental payloads. But because its missions are classified, there's rampant speculation that the plane could be testing spy equipment, space-based weapons, satellite-interference technology, or even orbital warfare tactics Think of it as a stealth drone, not for Earth, but for outer space.

The X-37B was originally developed by NASA in 1999, but in the mid-2000s, it was handed over to the U.S. military. Boeing, through its Phantom Works division, now builds and operates it. While the early flights were under the Air Force’s control, it’s now operated by the United States Space Force, a new military branch focused solely on space operations. That shift signals something deeper: the U.S. is preparing space not just for exploration, but for strategic dominance.

In December 2023, the X-37B launched its seventh mission (OTV-7) atop a Falcon Heavy rocket from SpaceX. The details? Still classified. But leaks suggest it may be testing AI-powered control systems, deep space navigation, or anti-satellite measures. This time, it’s believed to be heading to a higher orbit than ever before, possibly testing conditions closer to geosynchronous space, where many critical satellites orbit and that has global implications. Especially for countries like China and Russia, who are racing to build their own military spaceplanes.

The X-37B raises a bigger question: Are we witnessing the first chapter of weaponised space? While the US insists the plane’s missions are peaceful and research-focused, the timing, secrecy, and capabilities suggest otherwise. It can deploy mini-satellites, intercept foreign objects, and potentially return with captured tech. In an age of rising tensions, having an untraceable, reusable spaceplane in orbit gives any country a serious upper hand.

Whether it’s spying, sabotaging, or simply surviving for years in orbit, the X-37B is not science fiction. It’s real, active, and rewriting what’s possible in space defence. While we may never know its full mission profile, one thing is clear: the future of warfare may not be on land, air, or sea but in the silence of space. However, the X-37B? It’s already up there.