WASHINGTON — The U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has expanded its next-generation satellite constellation to more than 100 spacecraft, the agency said Dec. 17
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket early on Tuesday morning successfully launched the latest mission, NROL-149, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This marks the sixth deployment in the agency’s new proliferated architecture program and its final launch for 2024.
The latest launch follows on the heels of NROL-126, which took off on November 30, demonstrating a rapid pace of deployment for the intelligence agency’s ambitious space program. The NRO’s proliferated architecture is made up of imaging satellites built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman.
The NRO, responsible for developing and operating U.S. spy satellites, is moving away from traditional large, expensive satellites toward a more distributed network of smaller spacecraft. This approach, known as proliferated architecture, aims to enhance resilience and coverage while potentially reducing vulnerability to anti-satellite weapons.
The agency said it has placed more than 100 payloads into orbit over the past 18 months.
The NRO plans to continue expanding the constellation through 2028.
