Watch the Launch

Additional Media

NROL-87 Mission

SpaceX is targeting Wednesday, February 2 for Falcon 9’s launch of NROL-87 to orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base ...

NROL 87

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Mission: Government/Top Secret

Sun-Synchronous Orbit Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
B1071 - Landing Zone 4

Classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.

Telemetry

Launch trajectory and telemetry simulations provided by Flight Club - a rocket launch simulator and orbital trajectory visualiser for all things space!

Updates

Jay • Feb. 2, 2022, 10:18 p.m.

Launch successful


Cosmic_Penguin • Feb. 2, 2022, 7:42 p.m.

New T-0


Nosu • Jan. 28, 2022, 8:01 p.m.

Updating T-0


Nosu • Jan. 28, 2022, 7:21 p.m.

Setting GO


Nosu • Jan. 27, 2022, 1:38 p.m.

Updating T-0 per latest USCG District 11 Local Notice to Mariners


Falcon 9

Family:
Configuration: Block 5

Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.

See Details
Specifications
  • Minimum Stage
    1
  • Max Stage
    2
  • Length
    70.0 m
  • Diameter
    3.65 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.2 m
  • Launch Mass
    549.0 T
  • Thrust
    7607.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Falcon 9
  • Family
  • Variant
    Block 5
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Falcon 9 Block 5
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $52000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    22800.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    8300.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Booster Info


B1071

Status: Active


Type: Core
Flight Proven: No
First Flight: February 2, 2022
Last Flight: May 31, 2025
Flights: 25
Landings Attempted: 25
Landings Successful: 25

Landing Information

B1071 has successfully landed at LZ-4 after its maiden flight.

Result: Successful Return to Launch Site landing at Landing Zone 4.

SpaceX

SpaceX

(SpX)

CEO: Elon Musk Founded: 2002 Successes: 512 Failures: 15 Pending: 121

Agency Type:

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars. SpaceX operates from many pads, on the East Coast of the US they operate from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and historic LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. They also operate from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, usually for polar launches. Another launch site is being developed at Boca Chica, Texas.

INFO WIKI

Related News

Arstechnica

Russia wants a better look at what America’s newest spy satellite can do

Spying in space does not violate any international norms.

Arstechnica

The Falcon 9 may now be the safest rocket ever launched

The Falcon 9 also recently surpassed the space shuttle in total flights.

SpaceX launches classified satellite for U.S. National Reconnaissance Office

Teslarati

SpaceX Falcon 9 booster sticks landing, setting up future spy satellite launches

A new SpaceX Falcon 9 booster has successfully carried the National Reconnaissance Office’s NROL-87 mission to space on its launch debut, opening...

SpaceX launches classified NRO satellite from Vandenberg Space Force Base

Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Space Launch Complex 4E


Long March 3
Success
2 days, 12 hours ago
ChinaSat 9C
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Ku- and Ka-band geostationary communication satellite for China Satcom at 92.2° East, replacing ChinaSat 9.


Angara A5/Briz-M
Success
3 days, 21 hours ago
Kosmos (Unknown Payload)
35/1 - Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

Unidentified payload for the Russian military.


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 18 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-18
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 21 hours ago
Starlink Group 15-9
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 26 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 2D
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Zhangheng-1-02
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Zhangheng 1-02, also known as CSES-02 (China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite-02), is the follow-on mission to Zhangheng 1/CSES, a Chinese–Italian sp…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Starlink Group 12-26
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Starlink Group 15-6
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 26 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
The Mountain God Guards (iQPS Launch 3)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Synthetic aperture radar Earth observation satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company iQPS.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
Starlink Group 12-24
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
2 weeks ago
Starlink Group 15-8
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 26 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.