The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), in partnership with U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command (SSC), Space Launch Delta 45, and SpaceX, successfully launched the NROL-69 mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on March 24, 2025, at 1:48 p.m. EDT.
The Falcon 9 reusable rocket booster returned safely to Landing Zone 1 after delivering the national security payload to orbit. The successful mission highlights the close working relationship between NRO and SSC to ensure reliable and cost-effective access to space for national security missions.
“NRO and SSC’s partnership through the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program is an important step in safeguarding our nation’s interests in space,” said Col. Eric Zarybnisky, director, NRO’s Office of Space Launch. “Together, we are advancing national security by ensuring the U.S. maintains resilient and cost-effective space capabilities to meet evolving threats and deliver vital intelligence.”
NROL-69 is the first NRO mission launched with SpaceX from the NSSL Phase 2 contract awarded in August 2020. 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. Previously, NRO and SSC launched two NSSL Phase 1A missions with SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base with NROL-87 and NROL-85 in 2022.
“The combined team of our skilled personnel plus SpaceX in partnership with the NRO thoroughly examined the flight hardware and integration elements to minimize mission risks,” said Col. Jim Horne, Senior Materiel Leader of Launch Execution. “And our SSC team who operate the range systems and infrastructure was fantastic. It was our first NSSL mission this calendar year, and it hit the mark, right in the middle.”
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. Continuing with this momentum, 2025 is set to be another dynamic year, with approximately a dozen NRO launches scheduled. NROL-69 is NRO’s 5th launch of 2025, following NROL-153, NROL-57, and two rideshare missions aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12 and Transporter-13.
Source: NRO
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