Falcon 9 to launch new batch of secretive US reconnaissance satellites

SpaceX is set to launch a fresh group of reconnaissance satellites into orbit for the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), as part of an ongoing effort to expand America’s space-based surveillance capabilities.

The mission, designated NROL-145, will lift off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from the SLC-4E launch pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, Caliber.Az reports.

Liftoff is scheduled for 5:29 a.m. Pacific Time on April 20, with the satellites expected to reach orbit roughly an hour after launch.

Falcon 9 is targeted to launch three missions starting with our 5th NRO mission of the year on Sunday, followed by Dragon's 32nd cargo mission to the @Space_Station and our third Bandwagon rideshare mission on Monday → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 19, 2025

This marks the tenth deployment of optical-electronic reconnaissance mini-satellites under the program since last year. However, details about the number of satellites and their specific functions remain classified, in keeping with the mission’s high level of secrecy.

The NRO has previously revealed plans to quadruple the number of surveillance satellites in orbit. According to agency officials, the strategy, combined with cutting-edge onboard technologies, will enable a tenfold increase in the amount of intelligence collected. The use of smaller, more agile satellites will allow for more frequent monitoring of high-priority areas, significantly speeding up the acquisition of critical data.

The satellites launched under this mission are being developed under a $1.8 billion contract awarded in 2021 to SpaceX and Northrop Grumman. The initiative is a core part of the NRO’s long-term strategy to modernise and scale up its intelligence-gathering capabilities from space.

By Tamilla Hasanova