SpaceX has successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket with the secret payload NROL-57 for the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). This is reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
SpaceX launches the classified mission NROL-57
Addition
The Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Friday at 02:49 a.m. ET as part of the NROL-57 mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
According to the SpaceX mission description, the first stage of this rocket also launched the SPHEREx space telescope and PUNCH solar probes for NASA on March 11. Thus, NROL-57 became the second launch of the launch vehicle in a period of just over nine days, breaking the previous Falcon 9 record of 14 days.
Details of the mission remain classified, but such satellites are usually used for intelligence gathering and surveillance.
Recall
On March 15, the Falcon 9 launch vehicle successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, delivering a Crew Dragon spacecraft with four crew members to orbit.
It was reported that, in parallel, the mission will perform another important task — the return to Earth of two American astronauts who, due to technical difficulties, remained on the ISS much longer than planned.
