A Falcon 9 rocket launched by SpaceX successfully placed multiple National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) satellites into orbit early Tuesday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The mission marked the sixth launch of NRO’s new constellation of small satellites, showcasing the agency’s proliferated overhead architecture. According to NRO officials, this strategy involves deploying numerous smaller satellites designed for capability and resilience.
The launch was the 44th Falcon 9 rocket launch of 2024 from Vandenberg and the 49th liftoff of the year at the West Coast launch base. The rocket carried a set of Starshield satellites, which are part of NRO’s top-secret spacecraft manufacturing efforts.
NRO representatives declined to comment on the number of satellites launched but described the mission as successful. This achievement brings the agency’s total number of launches in 2024 to 10, with over 100 payloads successfully delivered to orbit during this period.
Source: https://www.noozhawk.com/falcon-rocket-places-spy-satellite-payload-in-orbit-after-vandenberg-liftoff