Watch the Launch

Additional Media

NROL-87 Mission

On Wednesday, February 2 at 12:18 p.m. PST, Falcon 9 launched the NROL-87 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This was the first launch and ...

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
  • Stages
    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: November 28, 2025
Flights: 30
Landings Attempted: 30
Landings Successful: 30

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: 604 Failures: 15 Pending: 116

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


Ariane 62
Success
2 days, 3 hours ago
Galileo L14 (FOC FM33 & FM34)
Ariane Launch Area 4 - Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Payload consists of two satellites for Europe's Galileo navigation system.


Atlas V 551
Success
2 days, 23 hours ago
Amazon Leo (LA-04)
Space Launch Complex 41 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, is a mega constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit that will offer broadband internet access, thi…


Long March 4B
Success
3 days, 5 hours ago
Ziyuan-3-04
Launch Complex 9 - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

The ZY-3 (Ziyuan-3, 'Resource-3') series represents China's first high-resolution, stereoscopic mapping satellites for civilian use. The second sa…


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 2 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-82
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 2 hours ago
Starlink Group 15-12
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Success
5 days, 5 hours ago
Raise and Shine (RAISE-4)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

RAISE-4 (RApid Innovative payload demonstration Satellite-4) is a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) satellite for on-orbit demonstrations of …


Kuaizhou 11
Success
6 days, 7 hours ago
DEAR-5
Launch Area 95A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

DEAR-5 is a commercial in-orbit payload and micro-gravity experiments hosting spacecraft developed by Chinese commercial company AZSPACE for various …


Long March 12
Success
1 week ago
SatNet LEO Group 16
Commercial LC-2 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

A batch of Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group. …


Falcon 9
Success
1 week ago
Starlink Group 6-90
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 15-11
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.