SpaceX completes tripleheader with first Falcon Heavy launch for US spy agency
SpaceX launched a classified mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on October 1, 2026, completing a rare tripleheader of three launches in under 13 hours. The Falcon Heavy rocket, designated NROL-97, lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 11:54 p.m. EDT, marking the first time the NRO has used the heavy-lift vehicle. This launch followed the Crew-13 astronaut mission and a 130-satellite rideshare earlier that day, setting a new record for booster landings in a single day.