SpaceXFalcon 9 Block 5Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
NROL-146
Launched
May 22, 2024 · 08:00 UTC
Image: SpaceX
Summary
NROL-146 launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on May 22, 2024 at 08:00 UTC. The launch window ran from 08:00 to 10:28 UTC. It was SpaceX's 364th launch, 53rd this year and humanity's 6,686th orbital launch attempt. It was the 281st Falcon 9 Block 5 flight and the 52nd this year. Booster B1071 flew for the 16th time and landed at Of Course I Still Love You. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). 21 objects from this launch are catalogued, all of them payloads.
- Watch
- Vehicle
- Falcon 9 Block 5 · SpaceX
- Booster
- B1071 · flight 16 · Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship at Of Course I Still Love You · landed209/217 landed here · 50 days after its previous flight, Starlink Group 7-18 · 642 km downrange
- Mission
- Government/Top Secret · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)for NRO
- Milestone
- 281st Falcon 9 Block 5 flight · 52nd this yearSpaceX's 364th launch53rd this yearhumanity's 6,686th orbital launch attempt97th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Simulate in Flight ClubFlight timeline
- T−38MGO for Prop Load
- T−35MStage 1 LOX Load
- T−35MProp Load
- T−16MStage 2 LOX Load
- T−7MEngine Chill
- T−1MTank Press
- T−1MStartup
- T−45SGO for Launch
- T−3SIgnition
- T−0Liftoff
- T+1M8SMax-Q
- T+2M27SMECO
- T+2M30SStage 2 Separation
- T+2M37SSES-1
- T+3M2SFairing Separation
- T+6M6SEntry Burn Startup
- T+6M27SEntry Burn Shutdown
- T+7M51SStage 1 Landing Burn
- T+8M13SStage 1 Landing
Catalogued objects
21 catalogued: 21 payloads; 21 still in orbit
- USA 354 · NORAD 59814 · in orbit
- USA 355 · NORAD 59815 · in orbit
- USA 356 · NORAD 59816 · in orbit
- USA 357 · NORAD 59817 · in orbit
- USA 358 · NORAD 59818 · in orbit
- USA 359 · NORAD 59819 · in orbit
- USA 360 · NORAD 59820 · in orbit
- USA 361 · NORAD 59821 · in orbit
- USA 362 · NORAD 59822 · in orbit
- USA 363 · NORAD 59823 · in orbit
- USA 364 · NORAD 59824 · in orbit
- USA 365 · NORAD 59825 · in orbit
Show 9 more payloads
- USA 366 · NORAD 59826 · in orbit
- USA 367 · NORAD 59827 · in orbit
- USA 368 · NORAD 59828 · in orbit
- USA 369 · NORAD 59829 · in orbit
- USA 370 · NORAD 59830 · in orbit
- USA 371 · NORAD 59831 · in orbit
- USA 372 · NORAD 59832 · in orbit
- USA 373 · NORAD 59833 · in orbit
- USA 374 · NORAD 59834 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
First batch of satellites for a reconnaissance satellite constellation built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the National Reconnaissance Office to provide imaging and other reconnaissance capabilities.
Pad
Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
145th launch from Space Launch Complex 4E, 17th this year · 756th from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Local pad time at liftoff: May 22, 1:00 AM PDT, at night
303 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
7 days 13 hours after the previous launch from this pad
Updates
Launch success confirmed
Show 9 earlier updates
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/22/2024 · source
Unofficial Webcast by SPACE AFFAIRS has started
LL2 · 5/22/2024 · source
GO for launch.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/20/2024 · source
NET May 22.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/20/2024 · source
NET May 21 per updated NOTAMs.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/18/2024 · source
GO for launch.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/16/2024 · source
Tweaked launch window per marine navigation warnings.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/15/2024 · source
Adding approximate launch time per marine navigation warnings.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/14/2024 · source
NET May 19.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/1/2024 · source
Questions
When did NROL-146 launch?
NROL-146 launched on May 22, 2024 at 08:00 UTC. The launch window ran from 08:00 to 10:28 UTC.
Where can I watch NROL-146?
Coverage: SpaceX NROL-146; SpaceX - Falcon 9 - NROL-146 - SLC-4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA. - May 22, 2024; Watch live: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches on a mission for the U.S. spy satellite agency. Watch the replay
What rocket launched NROL-146?
Falcon 9 Block 5, flown by SpaceX. Falcon 9 Block 5 spec sheet
Where did NROL-146 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA. Liftoff was May 22, 1:00 AM PDT local time at the pad.
Did the booster land?
Booster B1071 flew for the 16th time and landed at Of Course I Still Love You.
What orbit was NROL-146 going to?
Low Earth Orbit (LEO), a government/top secret mission.
How many satellites did NROL-146 launch?
21 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 21 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).