SpaceX Falcon 9 launches NRO’s NROL-69 mission from Florida

On March 24, SpaceX conducted a new Falcon 9 launch carrying the National Reconnaissance Office’s (NRO) NROL-69 mission. The rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 1:48 p.m. EDT.

This was the first NRO mission, SpaceX launched from NSSL Phase 2 contract awarded in August 2020. NSSL is a government launch acquisition partnership program between Space Force Space Systems Command (SSC) and NRO. It aims to ensure access to space for national security missions, operated by SSC, headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base in California.

NRO and SSC already launched two NSSL Phase 1A missions with SpaceX with NROL-87 and NROL-85 in 2022.

According to information, NRO has launched more than 150 satellites in the past two years. It has the largest government constellation for the intelligence and security, and more launches are scheduled for this year.

NROL-69 was the NRO’s 5th launch after NROL-153, NROL-57, and two rideshare missions with SpaceX Transporter.

After sending the second stage into orbit, SpaceX has performed a hot-staging and the booster returned to Earth. After a series of landing maneuvers, the booster fired one last burn to land vertical on the Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching with NROL-69 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station