NRO - National Reconnaissance Office
10/02/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/02/2026 08:36
NRO successfully launches NROL-97 aboard its first SpaceX Falcon Heavy mission
Chantilly, Va. - The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), in partnership with U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command's (SSC), System Delta 80, Space Launch Delta 45, and SpaceX, successfully launched the NROL-97 mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 1, at 11:54 p.m. ET. The Falcon Heavy's two side boosters safely returned to SpaceX's Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station after delivering the national security payload to orbit.
Today's historic mission underscores the enduring partnership between the NRO and SSC to ensure reliable, resilient, and cost-effective access to space to meet the nation's most complex security challenges. Also, the NROL-97 mission successfully capitalized on flight-proven hardware, repurposing payload fairings from the NROL-95 launch on July 30 and side boosters from NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope mission on Aug. 30.
"While the NRO and SSC have partnered on countless critical missions, NROL-97 stands as a historic milestone in our shared history," said Col. Kathryn Cantu, director, NRO Office of Space Launch, and NROL-97 mission director. "Pioneering NRO's first launch with SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 2 framework proves that our partnership with SSC is successfully modernizing national security space operations. Additionally, reusing the side boosters from NASA's successful Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launch enabled us to eliminate schedule delays and share mission assurance practices for a rapid turn-around of the Falcon Heavy capability. Leveraging these partnerships allows us to accelerate the deployment of emerging, next-generation technologies crucial to securing our nation's intelligence advantage."
NROL-97 is also the first national security payload launched from an NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2 contract, which provides full mission assurance for the most demanding missions. NSSL, a government launch acquisition partnership program between SSC and NRO aimed at ensuring continued assured access to space for national security missions, is overseen and operated by SSC's System Delta 80 headquartered at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
"Beyond being a milestone for our Phase 3 acquisition strategy, this mission demonstrates the effective collaboration between the SYD 80 NSSL One Falcon Team, the NRO, SpaceX, and NASA," said Col. Ryan Hiserote, commander, SYD 80, and NSSL program manager. "The joint efforts of these teams enabled the recovery, maintenance, and reuse of SpaceX's flight-proven side boosters that previously supported a NASA mission only a month earlier - a 30 percent faster improvement over the previous record."
Over the past several years, NRO has launched hundreds of satellites, creating the largest and most capable government constellation on orbit in our nation's history. Building on this momentum, 2026 is set to be another dynamic year, with launch frequency accelerating through year-end.
Earlier this year, NRO launched NROL-105, NRO's 12th proliferated mission on Jan. 16, and partnered with SSC to launch NROL-172, NRO's 13th proliferated mission and second through NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1, on May 11. NROL-179, NRO's 14th proliferated mission, launched on June 19 followed by NROL-95 on July 30 through NSSL Phase 2.
For more than 65 years, the NRO has successfully met the needs of its U.S. intelligence, military, civil, and allied partners. It remains the world's leader in unique intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems. The NRO's next-generation systems will help ensure that the right data is delivered to the right user at the right time, faster than ever before.
Additional information on upcoming launches will be made available at NRO.gov/launches/.
SEE THE PRESS RELEASE
Today's historic mission underscores the enduring partnership between the NRO and SSC to ensure reliable, resilient, and cost-effective access to space to meet the nation's most complex security challenges. Also, the NROL-97 mission successfully capitalized on flight-proven hardware, repurposing payload fairings from the NROL-95 launch on July 30 and side boosters from NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope mission on Aug. 30.
"While the NRO and SSC have partnered on countless critical missions, NROL-97 stands as a historic milestone in our shared history," said Col. Kathryn Cantu, director, NRO Office of Space Launch, and NROL-97 mission director. "Pioneering NRO's first launch with SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 2 framework proves that our partnership with SSC is successfully modernizing national security space operations. Additionally, reusing the side boosters from NASA's successful Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launch enabled us to eliminate schedule delays and share mission assurance practices for a rapid turn-around of the Falcon Heavy capability. Leveraging these partnerships allows us to accelerate the deployment of emerging, next-generation technologies crucial to securing our nation's intelligence advantage."
NROL-97 is also the first national security payload launched from an NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2 contract, which provides full mission assurance for the most demanding missions. NSSL, a government launch acquisition partnership program between SSC and NRO aimed at ensuring continued assured access to space for national security missions, is overseen and operated by SSC's System Delta 80 headquartered at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
"Beyond being a milestone for our Phase 3 acquisition strategy, this mission demonstrates the effective collaboration between the SYD 80 NSSL One Falcon Team, the NRO, SpaceX, and NASA," said Col. Ryan Hiserote, commander, SYD 80, and NSSL program manager. "The joint efforts of these teams enabled the recovery, maintenance, and reuse of SpaceX's flight-proven side boosters that previously supported a NASA mission only a month earlier - a 30 percent faster improvement over the previous record."
Over the past several years, NRO has launched hundreds of satellites, creating the largest and most capable government constellation on orbit in our nation's history. Building on this momentum, 2026 is set to be another dynamic year, with launch frequency accelerating through year-end.
Earlier this year, NRO launched NROL-105, NRO's 12th proliferated mission on Jan. 16, and partnered with SSC to launch NROL-172, NRO's 13th proliferated mission and second through NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1, on May 11. NROL-179, NRO's 14th proliferated mission, launched on June 19 followed by NROL-95 on July 30 through NSSL Phase 2.
For more than 65 years, the NRO has successfully met the needs of its U.S. intelligence, military, civil, and allied partners. It remains the world's leader in unique intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems. The NRO's next-generation systems will help ensure that the right data is delivered to the right user at the right time, faster than ever before.
Additional information on upcoming launches will be made available at NRO.gov/launches/.
SEE THE PRESS RELEASE
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