SpaceX Launches NROL-153 Starshield Satellites for NRO from Vandenberg

Jan 11, 2025, 06:43 PM

SpaceX successfully launched the NROL-153 mission on January 9, 2025, at 7:53 p.m. PST (10:53 p.m. EST, 0353 UTC), from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The Falcon 9 rocket carried an undisclosed number of Starshield satellites to low Earth orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) as part of the NRO's proliferated architecture constellation. The mission aims to expand the U.S. spy satellite constellation and enhance space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. This launch marks SpaceX's first West Coast mission of 2025 and the company's first military mission of the year.