SpaceX Launches NROL 2x446a 149 Spy Satellites for NRO with Successful Rocket Landing

Falcon 9 rocket launches NROL-149 mission, ing U.S. intelligence operations 432p22

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 18 December 2024 21:30 IST

SpaceX Launches NROL-149 Spy Satellites for NRO with Successful Rocket Landing

Photo Credit: SpaceX 721r4j

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the NROL-149 from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Dec. 17, 2024

Highlights

NROL-149 mission carries advanced spy satellites for U.S. intelligence
Falcon 9's first-stage successfully lands on "Of Course I Still Love Yo
SpaceX marks its 127th successful launch of 2024 with this mission

ment

A Falcon 9 rocket launched the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)'s NROL-149 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, at 8:19 a.m. EST on December 17, as per reports. The flight carried next-generation spy orbital-class rocket. According to mission details shared by SpaceX, this was the company's 127th launch of the year.

Details of the Mission and Payload 433i1h

The NROL-149 mission is mission for 2024.

Booster Reuse and Flight History 4t4429

According to sources, the Falcon 9 booster used in this mission had flown twice before, deploying other NRO satellites (NROL-113 and NROL-167) and NASA's DART asteroid impact mission. SpaceX's commitment to reusability was highlighted again with this successful recovery. Details regarding the deployment of the NROL-149 payloads remain undisclosed due to the classified nature of national security missions.

NASA’s InSight Lander Spotted with Dust by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

A Year of Proliferated Architecture Missions 675325

As per reports, this marks the sixth proliferated architecture mission for the NRO this year, with previous launches — NROL-146, NROL-186, NROL-113, NROL-167, and NROL-126 — also utilising SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets. The series represents a shift towards deploying numerous smaller satellites to improve resilience and capability in space-based intelligence, though official specifics remain classified.

Comments

For the latest reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.