On March 24, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the classified NROL-69 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). This launch signifies a major step towards the creation of the largest ever U.S. government satellite network.
The launch, originating from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 1:48 p.m. Eastern, marked the first National Security Space Launch (NSSL) mission of 2025 and the initial NRO mission under SpaceX’s NSSL Phase 2 contract, awarded in August 2020. It closely followed the NROL-57 mission, launched on March 21 from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
NROL-57, the eighth launch supporting the agency’s new proliferated architecture of small satellites, demonstrated the NRO's commitment to rapid expansion. “Over the past two years, NRO has launched more than 150 satellites, creating the largest and most capable government constellation on orbit in our nation’s history,” the NRO stated. “Continuing with this momentum, 2025 is set to be another dynamic year, with approximately one dozen NRO launches scheduled.”
The NRO plans to utilize roughly half of these launches to further expand its proliferated architecture, with additional deployments planned through 2029. This new imaging satellite constellation, a collaborative effort with SpaceX and Northrop Grumman, is designed to bolster military operations.
The NRO, responsible for designing and operating classified U.S. government surveillance and intelligence satellites, views this expanding network as essential for modernizing U.S. intelligence-gathering capabilities from space.