April 27, 2026
World
World
WASHINGTON, April 27 — A man accused of targeting US administration officials at a Washington event has been arrested after allegedly opening fire, injuring a Secret Service agent.
WASHINGTON, Aug 22 — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched into space last night, transporting the US military's classified X-37B drone on its eighth mission.
The rocket is scheduled to launch at 11:50 PM (0450 GMT on Friday), as stated by SpaceX, which also mentioned that a backup launch window is available at the same time the next day.
The United States Space Force has stated that the mission of the drone will encompass "a broad array of testing and experimental goals."
"The operational demonstrations and experiments encompass next-generation technologies, such as laser communications and the most advanced quantum inertial sensor ever evaluated in space," the service stated in a press release last month.
"Mission 8 is set to enhance the resilience, efficiency, and security of U.S. space-based communications architectures," it stated.
The X-37B US space drone, comparable in size to a small bus, resembles a scaled-down version of the manned space shuttles that were retired in 2011.
In its prior missions, the X-37B has conducted various tests for NASA, the US space agency.
Since its inception in 2010, the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle has been developed for the Air Force by United Launch Alliance, a collaboration with Boeing.
The object measures 30 feet (nine meters) in length, features a wingspan of 15 feet, and is driven by solar panels. — AFP
