Successful Vandenberg Rocket NROL Launch Early Sunday Morning

Update by the edhat staff
April 20, 2025

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 Vandenberg Space Force Base at 5:29 a.m. Sunday.

This mission is the tenth overall launch of the NRO’s proliferated architecture, a network of small satellites orbiting Earth, 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.

Falcon 9 launches NROL-145 from California, completing our first of the new national security missions awarded in October 2024 pic.twitter.com/wrvSXDTXDf

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 20, 2025

Over the past two years, NRO has launched more than 200 satellites, creating the largest government constellation on orbit in the nation’s history.

For the rest of the year there are 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.

“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,” according to a press release.

Vandenberg Rocket Launch Scheduled for Early Sunday Morning

By the edhat staff
April 19, 2025

A rocket launch is scheduled for early Sunday morning from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The base announced a Falcon 9 launch of the NROL-145 mission from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) is scheduled for 5:29 a.m. PT, Sunday, April 20. If needed, a backup opportunity is available on Monday, April 21 starting at 5:08 a.m. PT.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch at spacex.com.

This is the 12th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched USSF-62, OneWeb Launch 20, and nine Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

There is the possibility that residents of and visitors to Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions.