Insider Brief
- The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) successfully launched its tenth proliferated architecture mission, NROL-145, from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
- The mission marks the first under the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 agreement with Space Systems Command’s Assured Access to Space.
- NRO has launched over 200 satellites in the past two years and plans approximately a dozen launches in 2025 to expand its satellite constellation.
PRESS RELEASE — The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), in partnership with U.S.
Space Force Space Systems Command’s Assured Access to Space (SSC AATS), Space Launch
Delta 30, and SpaceX, successfully launched the NROL-145 mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9
rocket from Space Launch Complex-4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on
April 20, 2025, at 8:29 a.m. EDT.
Today’s mission is the tenth overall launch of the NRO’s proliferated architecture and fourth
proliferated launch of 2025. NROL-145 is also the first mission in partnership with SSC AATS
under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 Launch Service NRO Task
Order awarded in October 2024. NSSL, a government launch acquisition partnership program
between SSC and the NRO aimed at ensuring continued assured access to space for national
security missions, is overseen and operated by SSC headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force
Base in California.
NRO’s ability to leverage multiple acquisition approaches demonstrates NRO’s commitment to
delivering critical national systems on orbit faster than ever before.
Over the past two years, NRO has launched more than 200 satellites, creating the largest and
most capable government constellation on orbit in our nation’s history. Continuing with this
momentum, 2025 is set to be another dynamic year, with approximately one dozen NRO
launches scheduled. Half of these launches will focus on advancing the NRO’s proliferated
architecture with additional proliferated launches planned through 2029, ensuring sustained
growth and innovation.
For more than 60 years, the NRO has successfully met the needs of its U.S. intelligence, military,
civil, and allied partners. It remains the world’s leader in unique intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance systems. The NRO’s next-generation systems will help ensure that the right data
is delivered to the right user at the right time, faster than ever before.
Additional information on upcoming launches will be available at NRO.gov/launch/.
Matt Swayne
With a several-decades long background in journalism and communications, Matt Swayne has worked as a science communicator for an R1 university for more than 12 years, specializing in translating high tech and deep tech for the general audience. He has served as a writer, editor and analyst at The Space Impulse since its inception. In addition to his service as a science communicator, Matt also develops courses to improve the media and communications skills of scientists and has taught courses.
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