Official statements from the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) or SpaceX

SpaceX Successfully Launches NROL-146 Mission with Spy Satellites for NRO

May 22, 2024, 08:07 AM

SpaceX successfully launched the NROL-146 mission on May 22, 2024, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mission, conducted on a Falcon 9 rocket, carried next-generation reconnaissance spy satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The launch occurred at 0800 UTC and was declared a success by the NRO, marking the deployment of the first operational satellites in a new constellation of small reconnaissance and data relay satellites, possibly to a 70 degree inclination orbit. The NRO's deputy director stated that this constellation will play a crucial role over the next decade.