The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), in partnership with U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 30 and SpaceX, successfully launched the NROL-186 mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on June 28, 2024, at 11:14 p.m. EDT.
This mission is the second launch of the NRO’s proliferated architecture and signifies the persistent pace of deployment that is expected with this program. The successful mission follows NROL-146, launched last month
“Our new, proliferated systems enhance our ability to collect and deliver critical information at the speed our users demand,” said Dr. Chris Scolese, director of the NRO. “The diversity of our overhead architecture allows us to remain agile and resilient amid increasing competition and emerging threats, ensuring we are well positioned now and in the future to deliver on our mission of keeping our nation safe.”
For more than 60 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.
Approximately half a dozen launches supporting NRO’s proliferated architecture are planned for 2024, with additional launches expected through 2028.
Click here to learn about NRO's satellite launches.
Click here to watch SpaceX's launch of the NROL-186 mission.
