NRO Archives

Rocket Lab launches second national security launch with impressive cadence

Seth Kurkowski - Aug. 4th 2022 9:11 am PT @SethKurk

Comments

Rocket Lab, the leader of the SmallSat launch market, has completed its “Back to Back” launch campaign for the National Reconnaissance Office. This marks a major cadence milestone for the company working to become the SpaceX of SmallSat launches.

Launch Spotlight: NROL-85 – SpaceX launches a new spy satellite to orbit from California

Jared Locke - Apr. 17th 2022 6:13 am PT

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on April 17, 2022, at 9:13 a.m. EDT. This launch will carry a spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office.

SpaceX NROL-108 mission pushes back a day due to issue with Falcon 9 upper stage

Seth Kurkowski - Dec. 17th 2020 9:24 am PT

SpaceX was suppose to launch the newest satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office Laboratory named NROL-108. This will launch on booster B1059 which first launched back in December 2019 on the CRS-19 mission.

America’s newest fancy spy satellite finally leaves the planet

Seth Kurkowski - Dec. 14th 2020 9:31 am PT @SethKurk

ULA NRO Delta IV Heavy NROL-44

Comments

After sitting on the pad for over a year and undergoing multiple launch attempts since late August, ULA’s Delta IV Heavy lifted off on Thursday carrying a classified payload known only as NROL-44.

Spy satellite no longer stuck on Earth? ULA sets new date for Delta IV Heavy and NROL-44 mission [U]

Zac Hall - Dec. 10th 2020 4:50 pm PT @apollozac

ULA NRO Delta IV Heavy

Comments

Update: December 10, 2020: Livestream for tonight’s launch is now available. Liftoff is scheduled for 8:09 p.m. EST.

United Launch Alliance has released a new target date for the NROL-44 mission using its massive Delta IV Heavy rocket. The classified mission for the U.S. National Reconnoissance Office Laboratory was originally set for August 26, but multiple failures to launch for various reasons took the launch off the calendar.