Tag: Starshield
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NRO chief: “You can’t hide” from our new swarm of SpaceX-built spy satellites
The director of the National Reconnaissance Office has a message for US adversaries around the world. “You can’t hide, because we’re constantly looking,” said Chris Scolese, a longtime NASA engineer who took the helm of the US government’s spy satellite agency in 2019. The NRO is taking advantage of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite assembly line to…
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SpaceX launches 4th batch of Starshield satellites for the NRO on its 100th Falcon 9 rocket of 2024
The Falcon 9 at sunrise Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 as final preparations were made for the NROL-167 mission. Image: SpaceX. SpaceX launch its fourth mission of the year for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) carrying satellites for its so-called “proliferated architecture,” which are believed to be Starshield satellites. The mission, dubbed NROL-167, added an unspecified…
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SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket on national security mission for the NRO
A Falcon 9 lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Station in California on the NROL-113 mission. Image: SpaceX. SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket with an undisclosed number of satellites on behalf of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The spacecraft, which are believed to be Starshield satellites, make up the third batch of what the…
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Launch Roundup: Vega retired after final launch; Polaris Dawn lift off
This week, rockets will launch from all over the globe. China’s CASC sent a Chang Zheng 4B on its 50th successful mission to start the week. The final launch of Arianespace’s Vega rocket went off without a hitch. Polaris Dawn launched four private astronauts to low-Earth orbit, during which the world’s first private EVA out…
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SpaceX continues record-breaking year with Starship’s full success and Falcon milestones
SpaceX continues to break records with its Falcon rockets during 2024 completing to date a total of 67 missions so far and putting the company on track to complete 135 launches by the end of it. SpaceX also unveiled a new extravehicular activity suit, completed several missions for the US and foreign governments, as well…
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SpaceX launches multiple satellites for the NRO from Vandenberg Space Force Base
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on the NROL-186 mission on June 28, 2024. Image: SpaceX SpaceX launched a national security mission on behalf of the United States’ National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) from Vandenberg Space Force Base Friday night. The spy agency described the classified mission as “the second…
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SpaceX launches first batch of satellites for the NRO’s reconnaissance satellite constellation
A Falcon 9 heads to orbit with a payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. Image: SpaceX. Update 11:09 p.m. EDT: Adding additional information from the NRO. The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) began building a constellation of unknown size with a middle-of-the-night launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mission, dubbed NROL-146, featured…