No description available.
Launch Date
4/17/2022
Launch Site
South Base, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
, US
Launch Vehicle
Falcon 9 FT5 (Falcon 9 Family)
SpaceX will receive $297,000,000 to launch AFSPC-44, NROL-85, and NROL-87.
In February the Air Force selected Falcon Heavy for the AFSPC-44 mission as part of a $297,000,000 contract that also includes two Falcon 9 launches for NRO satellites NROL-85 and NROL-87.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the NROL-85 mission launched from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on 2022-04-17, at 6:13 a.m. Pacific Time.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a U.S. National Reconnaissance Office satellite designated NROL-85 into orbit on 2022-04-17 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
SpaceX received a contract from the U.S. Air Force in February 2019 to launch NROL-85 and NROL-87.
The National Reconnaissance Office’s NROL-85 mission launched on 2022-04-17 by SpaceX.
Under the agreement, SpaceX launched NROL-87 in February at Vandenberg and reused that booster for NROL-85 in April.
Twelve months before the launch, the NRO required the NROL-85 payload to be delivered to a different orbit, prompting a range change to Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
The Falcon 9 first stage booster used for the SWOT mission had previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, and two Starlink missions.
The first stage booster supporting the Transporter-8 mission previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, and four Starlink missions.
The first stage booster supporting the mission is flying for the 15th time after previous launches of NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, and eight Starlink missions.
The first stage booster previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, and seven Starlink missions.
The 2024-04-01 mission was the 15th flight for the first stage booster supporting that mission, which previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, and nine Starlink missions.
The first stage booster supporting NROL-146 previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, and nine Starlink missions.
The first stage booster for NROL-146 was making its 16th flight and previously supported NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, and nine Starlink missions.