SpaceXFalcon 9 Block 5Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
NROL-172
Launched
May 12, 2026 · 02:13 UTC
Image: SpaceX
Summary
NROL-172 launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on May 12, 2026 at 02:13 UTC. The launch window ran from 22:28 to 02:28 UTC. It was SpaceX's 675th launch, 56th this year and humanity's 7,281st orbital launch attempt. It was the 581st Falcon 9 Block 5 flight and the 55th this year. Booster B1097 flew for the 9th time and landed at Of Course I Still Love You. The payload was bound for Unknown (N/A). 22 objects from this launch are catalogued, all of them payloads.
- Watch
- SpaceX NROL-172The Space Devs
- Live: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from California on a mission for U.S. spy satellite agencySpaceflight Now
- NROL-172 MissionSpaceX
- Vehicle
- Falcon 9 Block 5 · SpaceX
- Booster
- B1097 · flight 9 · Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship at Of Course I Still Love You · landed222/230 landed here · 22 days after its previous flight, Starlink Group 17-22 · 610 km downrange
- Mission
- Government/Top Secret · Unknown (N/A)for NRO
- Milestone
- 581st Falcon 9 Block 5 flight · 55th this yearSpaceX's 675th launch56th this yearhumanity's 7,281st orbital launch attempt108th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Simulate in Flight ClubFlight timeline
- T−38MGO for Prop Load
- T−35MProp Load
- T−35MStage 1 LOX Load
- T−16MStage 2 LOX Load
- T−7MEngine Chill
- T−1MStartup
- T−1MTank Press
- T−45SGO for Launch
- T−3SIgnition
- T−0Liftoff
- T+1M6SMax-Q
- T+2M25SMECO
- T+2M29SStage 2 Separation
- T+2M36SSES-1
- T+2M53SFairing Separation
- T+6M15SEntry Burn Startup
- T+6M38SEntry Burn Shutdown
- T+8M6SStage 1 Landing Burn
- T+8M30SStage 1 Landing
Catalogued objects
22 catalogued: 22 payloads; 22 still in orbit
- USA 586 · NORAD 69051 · in orbit
- USA 587 · NORAD 69052 · in orbit
- USA 588 · NORAD 69053 · in orbit
- USA 589 · NORAD 69054 · in orbit
- USA 590 · NORAD 69055 · in orbit
- USA 591 · NORAD 69056 · in orbit
- USA 592 · NORAD 69057 · in orbit
- USA 593 · NORAD 69058 · in orbit
- USA 594 · NORAD 69059 · in orbit
- USA 595 · NORAD 69060 · in orbit
- USA 596 · NORAD 69061 · in orbit
- USA 597 · NORAD 69062 · in orbit
Show 10 more payloads
- USA 598 · NORAD 69063 · in orbit
- USA 599 · NORAD 69064 · in orbit
- USA 600 · NORAD 69065 · in orbit
- USA 601 · NORAD 69066 · in orbit
- USA 602 · NORAD 69067 · in orbit
- USA 603 · NORAD 69068 · in orbit
- USA 604 · NORAD 69069 · in orbit
- USA 605 · NORAD 69070 · in orbit
- USA 606 · NORAD 69071 · in orbit
- USA 607 · NORAD 69072 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Thirteenth 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
267th launch from Space Launch Complex 4E, 29th this year · 883rd from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Local pad time at liftoff: May 11, 7:13 PM PDT, in daylight
303 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
5 days 22 hours after the previous launch from this pad
Updates
Launch success.
Show 9 earlier updates
Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started
LL2 · 5/12/2026 · source
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/12/2026 · source
Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started
LL2 · 5/12/2026 · source
Now targeting May 12 at 02:13 UTC
hitura-nobad · 5/11/2026 · source
Now targeting May 11 at 22:28 UTC
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/7/2026 · source
Reverted back to May 13.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/7/2026 · source
Now targeting May 11 at 22:28 UTC
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/7/2026 · source
GO for launch.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/6/2026 · source
Delayed to May 13.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/6/2026 · source
Questions
When did NROL-172 launch?
NROL-172 launched on May 12, 2026 at 02:13 UTC. The launch window ran from 22:28 to 02:28 UTC.
Where can I watch NROL-172?
Coverage: SpaceX NROL-172; Live: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from California on a mission for U.S. spy satellite agency; NROL-172 Mission. Watch the replay
What rocket launched NROL-172?
Falcon 9 Block 5, flown by SpaceX. Falcon 9 Block 5 spec sheet
Where did NROL-172 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA. Liftoff was May 11, 7:13 PM PDT local time at the pad.
Did the booster land?
Booster B1097 flew for the 9th time and landed at Of Course I Still Love You.
What orbit was NROL-172 going to?
Unknown (N/A), a government/top secret mission.
How many satellites did NROL-172 launch?
22 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 22 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).