Spaceflight Insider

News Archive / Tagged: NROL-76

  • SpaceX ventures ‘into the black’ with classified NROL-76 mission

    Bart LeahyMay 1st, 2017

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — While most of the details of the National Reconnaissance Office’s NROL-76 payload are a mystery, it’s still hard to hide a rocket launch taking to the skies off the coast of Florida.

  • Sensor issue prompts 24-hour delay for classified Falcon 9 mission

    Derek RichardsonApril 30th, 2017

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A hold was called by the launch director some 52 seconds before the expected launch of the classified Falcon 9 mission carrying the NROL-76 payload. Liftoff was planned for 7:15 a.m. EDT (11:15 GMT) April 30, 2017, from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A.

  • SFI LIVE: Launch of classified NROL-76 mission on SpaceX Falcon 9

    Jason RhianApril 30th, 2017

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- Hawthorne, California-based Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has a 'Full Thrust' Falcon 9 rocket primed to launch its first mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The NROL-76 mission has a two-hour long launch window in which to get off the pad, tune into SFI LIVE for the only on-site webcast to be held from this important mission.

  • SpaceX ready to launch its first dedicated NRO mission

    Bart LeahyApril 28th, 2017

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Two days before SpaceX is scheduled to launch its first dedicated National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) mission, all appears to be go for NROL-76. The Falcon 9 is scheduled to launch sometime between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. EDT (11:00 and 13:00 GMT) April 30, 2017.

  • Falcon 9 hotfire test blazes way for classified NROL-76 mission

    Derek RichardsonApril 25th, 2017

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — A month after flying its first used Falcon 9 booster, SpaceX placed another rocket on historic Launch Complex 39A to perform a static fire test in advance of its upcoming flight for the National Reconnaissance Office: the classified NROL-76 mission.