SpaceX launched a reconnaissance mission for the U.S. government on Thursday night, October 1, at 11:54 p.m. EDT (0354 GMT on October 2). The Falcon Heavy rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying out the NROL-97 mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). This launch marked SpaceX's third mission within a 13-hour period, following the Crew-13 astronaut mission to the International Space Station in the morning and the Transporter-18 rideshare flight in the afternoon, both conducted using Falcon 9 rockets.
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The Falcon Heavy, which consists of three modified Falcon 9 first stages, has now successfully completed 14 flights since its debut in February 2018, assuming NROL-97 proceeds as planned. This mission is particularly noteworthy as it is the first Falcon Heavy launch for the NRO, which manages the U.S. fleet of spy satellites. Details surrounding NROL-97 are limited due to its classified nature, but the use of a heavy-lift rocket suggests that the payload is substantial or intended for a distant orbit.
The NROL-97 mission patch features the Latin phrase "Orbem mundi mutandum conservare," meaning "to preserve a changing world." The emblem also honors the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, incorporating elements that memorialize their loss.
Following the liftoff, the launch webcast concluded shortly after the Falcon Heavy's two side boosters successfully landed back at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station approximately eight minutes post-launch. However, the central booster was not recovered. This launch adds to SpaceX's recent activity, as the company also conducted the 14th test flight of its next-generation Starship megarocket three days earlier.