In its fifth mission of the year, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) successfully launched its latest spy satellite, NROL-69, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The classified payload lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Monday at 1:48 p.m. EDT (1748 UTC), heading to an undisclosed orbital destination.
Credit: SpaceX
Smooth Liftoff Despite Cloud Concerns
The 45th Weather Squadron at Patrick Space Force Base had predicted a 90% chance of favorable conditions for the launch. While meteorologists monitored the possibility of thick cloud cover, the weather ultimately cooperated, allowing for a smooth liftoff.
“Mid and high clouds associated with the upper-level jet will be streaming across the area on Monday,” launch weather officers noted ahead of the launch. However, the cloud layers remained high enough to avoid interfering with the rocket's flight.
Booster Makes 50th Landing at LZ-1
The Falcon 9’s first stage booster, designated B1092, previously flew on the Starlink 12-13 mission in February 2025. About 8.5 minutes after launch, the reusable booster returned to Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1), marking its second flight and the 50th successful touchdown at LZ-1. The landing was accompanied by a sonic boom, heard across Florida’s Space Coast. Overall, this marked the 422nd
booster landing for SpaceX.
Credit: SpaceX
The NROL-69 mission is part of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program’s Phase 2 contracts. In 2020, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA) secured $4 billion and $4.5 billion in contracts, respectively, to conduct a total of 50 missions—an increase from the original estimate of 34. Of these, nine are for the NRO, with ULA handling seven and SpaceX assigned two, including NROL-69.
The NRO contracted SpaceX for NROL-69 and USSF-36 under a firm-fixed-price agreement worth $159.7 million, issued in March 2021. Although both missions were initially scheduled for 2023, they were delayed without public explanation.
As is typical with NRO missions, details about the satellite's payload, final orbit, and purpose remain classified. The agency only confirmed that the spacecraft is a national security asset "designed, built, and operated by the NRO."
However, flight notices to aviators and mariners indicated the rocket was following a northeast trajectory, likely targeting an orbit with a 53-degree inclination. Additionally, the Falcon 9’s second stage featured a grey thermal stripe—a telltale sign of a potentially prolonged coast phase, suggesting the mission might require multiple burns to reach its operational orbit. This grey band, used to keep the RP-1 kerosene fuel at a stable temperature, is common on missions with extended coast periods.
The NROL-69 launch adds to SpaceX’s growing track record of successful missions for national security and intelligence purposes. With the 50th LZ-1 landing and the 422nd overall booster recovery, SpaceX continues to demonstrate the reusability and reliability of its Falcon 9 rocket, reinforcing its role in the U.S. government’s space operations.
Add comment
Comments