SpaceX lifts off secret U.S. reconnaissance satellite from Cape Canaveral

SpaceX launched the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office’s secret NROL-95 satellite from Cape Canaveral on July 30, 2026, using a Falcon 9; payload details remain classified, and the mission patch features a ferret with the slogan 'We are the Champions.' The first stage returned to Earth about 8.5 minutes after liftoff, and SpaceX reportedly ended the livestream at the NRO’s request. NROL-95 is the fourth NRO launch of 2026, part of a broader plan for a proliferated constellation of small, cost-efficient satellites.