NROL-167: SpaceX Launches Next-gen US Spy Satellites In 100th Falcon 9 Flight Of The Year

A SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying a batch of next-gen spy satellites for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), lifted off at 1713 UTC today (Oct. 24) from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base. The reusable Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth about eight minutes after launch as usual, touching down on the SpaceX droneship Of Course I Still Love You, stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

The webcast of the clandestine NROL-167 mission ended shortly after the first stage touchdown, at the request of the NRO. This was the 21st launch and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description; and the 100th Falcon 9 liftoff of 2024.

As it's customary with NRO missions, the payload on today's launch is classified. NROL-167 was the fourth launch supporting the NRO's "proliferated architecture," a constellation consisting of "numerous, smaller satellites designed for capability and resilience," according to the agency.

The first three proliferated architecture missions also took flight on Falcon 9s — NROL-146 in May, NROL-186 in June and NROL-113 in September.