The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), in partnership with U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command’s Assured Access to Space (SSC AATS), Space Launch Delta 30, and SpaceX, successfully launched the NROL-145 mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on April 20, 2025, at 8:29 a.m. EDT.
This mission is the tenth overall launch of the NRO’s proliferated architecture and fourth proliferated launch of 2025. NROL-145 is also the first mission in partnership with SSC AATS under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 Launch Service NRO Task Order awarded in October 2024. NSSL, a government launch acquisition partnership program between SSC and the NRO aimed at ensuring continued assured access to space for national security missions, is overseen and operated by SSC headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base in California.
NRO’s ability to leverage multiple acquisition approaches demonstrates NRO’s commitment to delivering critical national systems on orbit faster than ever before. Over the past two years, NRO has launched more than 200 satellites, creating the largest and most capable government constellation on orbit in our nation’s history. Continuing with this momentum, 2025 is set to be another dynamic year, with approximately one dozen NRO launches scheduled. Half of these launches will focus on advancing the NRO’s proliferated architecture with additional proliferated launches planned through 2029, ensuring sustained growth and innovation.
Source: NRO
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