SpaceX launches first 2026 national-security mission, sending NRO satellites to orbit

SpaceX lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Jan. 16, 2026, delivering the NROL-105 mission—satellites built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the National Reconnaissance Office—into orbit aboard a Falcon 9. The launch advances the NRO's proliferated-architecture plan to boost revisit rates, coverage, and rapid deployment. The Falcon 9 first stage returned to land at Vandenberg about 7.5 minutes after liftoff; deployment specifics (how many satellites and where/when they will be deployed) were not disclosed, and SpaceX ended its webcast shortly after booster recovery. This was SpaceX’s seventh 2026 mission, with four prior launches tied to Starlink.