SpaceXFalcon 9 Block 5Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
NROL-48
Launched
September 22, 2025 · 17:38 UTC
Image: SpaceX
Summary
NROL-48 launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on September 22, 2025 at 17:38 UTC. The launch window ran from 17:23 to 18:23 UTC. It was SpaceX's 573rd launch, 124th this year and humanity's 7,068th orbital launch attempt. It was the 481st Falcon 9 Block 5 flight and the 120th this year. Booster B1081 flew for the 18th time and landed at Landing Zone 4. The payload was bound for Unknown (N/A). 8 objects from this launch are catalogued, all of them payloads.
- Watch
- SpaceX NROL-48The Space Devs
- Watch live: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches on U.S. spy satellite agency mission from CaliforniaSpaceflight Now
- NROL-48 MissionSpaceX
- Vehicle
- Falcon 9 Block 5 · SpaceX
- Booster
- B1081 · flight 18 · Return to Launch Site at Landing Zone 4 · landed35/35 landed here · 31 days after its previous flight, Starlink Group 17-6
- Mission
- Government/Top Secret · Unknown (N/A)for NRO
- Milestone
- 481st Falcon 9 Block 5 flight · 120th this yearSpaceX's 573rd launch124th this yearhumanity's 7,068th orbital launch attempt219th 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−1MTank Press
- T−1MStartup
- T−45SGO for Launch
- T−3SIgnition
- T−0Liftoff
- T+1M12SMax-Q
- T+2M16SMECO
- T+2M20SStage 2 Separation
- T+2M33SBooster Boostback Burn Startup
- T+2M37SSES-1
- T+2M52SFairing Separation
- T+3M21SBooster Boostback Burn Shutdown
- T+6M15SEntry Burn Startup
- T+6M36SEntry Burn Shutdown
- T+7M28SStage 1 Landing Burn
- T+8MStage 1 Landing
- T+8M40SSECO-1
- T+52M30SSES-2
- T+52M32SSECO-2
Catalogued objects
8 catalogued: 8 payloads; 8 still in orbit
- USA 558 · NORAD 65704 · in orbit
- USA 559 · NORAD 65705 · in orbit
- USA 560 · NORAD 65706 · in orbit
- USA 561 · NORAD 65707 · in orbit
- USA 562 · NORAD 65708 · in orbit
- USA 563 · NORAD 65709 · in orbit
- USA 564 · NORAD 65710 · in orbit
- USA 565 · NORAD 65711 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Eleventh 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
218th launch from Space Launch Complex 4E, 44th this year · 832nd from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Local pad time at liftoff: Sep 22, 10:38 AM PDT, in daylight
303 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
3 days 1 hour after the previous launch from this pad
Updates
Launch success.
Show 9 earlier updates
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin · 9/22/2025 · source
Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started
LL2 · 9/22/2025 · source
Tweaked T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 9/22/2025 · source
Tweaked T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 9/21/2025 · source
Tweaked T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 9/21/2025 · source
New T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 9/21/2025 · source
Now targeting Sep 22 at 17:23 UTC
Cosmic_Penguin · 9/18/2025 · source
GO for launch.
Cosmic_Penguin · 9/12/2025 · source
NET early September.
Cosmic_Penguin · 8/2/2025 · source
Questions
When did NROL-48 launch?
NROL-48 launched on September 22, 2025 at 17:38 UTC. The launch window ran from 17:23 to 18:23 UTC.
Where can I watch NROL-48?
Coverage: SpaceX NROL-48; Watch live: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches on U.S. spy satellite agency mission from California; NROL-48 Mission. Watch the replay
What rocket launched NROL-48?
Falcon 9 Block 5, flown by SpaceX. Falcon 9 Block 5 spec sheet
Where did NROL-48 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA. Liftoff was Sep 22, 10:38 AM PDT local time at the pad.
Did the booster land?
Booster B1081 flew for the 18th time and landed at Landing Zone 4.
What orbit was NROL-48 going to?
Unknown (N/A), a government/top secret mission.
How many satellites did NROL-48 launch?
8 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 8 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).