SpaceX is gearing up to launch a fresh batch of satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the US military-space intelligence agency, on Saturday, November 30. The Falcon 9 rocket will take off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California within a four-hour window beginning at 03:10 Eastern Time (08:10 UTC, 00:10 local time). The payload onboard includes satellites for the NRO, along with 20 Starlink devices aimed at providing satellite Internet services.
The upcoming mission, dubbed NROL-126, marks the fifth launch in support of NRO’s new satellite architecture known as the “proliferated architecture.” This approach involves transitioning from large, costly satellites to a constellation of smaller, more affordable satellites that offer enhanced resilience against threats.
While specific details about the NRO satellites are classified, they are known to be utilizing the STARLINK satellite platform augmented with specialized sensors. This strategy enables NRO to enhance its observation capabilities while maintaining operational flexibility and resilience to potential adversarial actions.
Following liftoff, the first stage of Falcon 9 is slated to return to Earth and land on SpaceX’s droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean. This mission will mark the maiden flight for this particular booster. The Starlink satellites are expected to deploy into low Earth orbit approximately 62 minutes after liftoff, with the exact timing of NRO satellite deployment remaining undisclosed.
SpaceX has already conducted four previous launches in 2024 as part of the NRO’s novel satellite architecture: NROL-146 in May, NROL-186 in June, NROL-113 in September, and NROL-167 in October. The previous launch also marked SpaceX’s 100th successful Falcon 9 mission and brings the total number of launches by SpaceX this year to 117, with nearly 70% of them dedicated to the deployment of Starlink satellites.
This mission underscores SpaceX’s pivotal role in advancing the modernization of US satellite systems and solidifies its position as a prominent player in the space launch industry.