National Reconnaissance Office 12h ·To recap, our NROL-111 mission launched at 9:35 a.m. this morning on a Northrop Grumman Minotaur I rocket from MARS Pad 0B at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. NROL-111 is our second launch in 2021, our 60th anniversary year. For six decades, NRO has been successfully innovating and meeting the needs of its U.S. intelligence, military, and federal civil partners and today remains the world’s leader in unique intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems.“NRO is the best in the world at delivering space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to more than half a million government users working together to keep America safe,” said NRO Director Dr. Christopher Scolese. “NROL-111 is the 16th payload we put on orbit in 18 months to advance our mission of providing critical information to every member of the Intelligence Community, two dozen domestic agencies, our nation’s military, lawmakers, and decision makers.”“NROL-111 continues NRO’s 60-year legacy of pushing the envelope of the possible through ingenuity and collaboration,” said NRO Principal Deputy Director Dr. Troy Meink. “Our legacy is carried on by the dedicated men and women of the NRO, and supported by our talented mission partners, who made today’s launch a success.” NROL-111 is NRO’s final scheduled launch for 2021. In 2022, NRO is scheduled to start the year with two launches from New Zealand in January and February, NROL-162 and NROL-199. Also in February, NROL-87 is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Three additional NRO missions are planned for later in 2022.
This one seems to have been moved to 2022, as NRO announced, that NROL-111 was the last planned NRO launch for 2021.
NROL-111 is NRO’s final scheduled launch for 2021. In 2022, NRO is scheduled to start the year with two launches from New Zealand in January and February, NROL-162 and NROL-199. Also in February, NROL-87 is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Three additional NRO missions are planned for later in 2022.
Northrop Grumman has no more Pegasus launches in its backlog, but the Space Force and the NRO have purchased at least one more Minotaur flight to deliver another classified payload to orbit.That mission, known as NROL-174, will use a Minotaur 4 rocket, the larger Minotaur variant. It is scheduled for launch in 2023, Eberly said. A launch site for the NROL-174 mission has not been confirmed.Northrop Grumman’s next orbital launch is scheduled in August, when an Antares rocket will take off from Virginia with the next Cygnus cargo ship for the International Space Station.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2021/06/15/three-nro-satellites-launched-by-minotaur-rocket-with-surplus-missile-parts/Quote...[T]he Space Force and the NRO have purchased at least one more Minotaur flight to deliver another classified payload to orbit.That mission, known as NROL-174, will use a Minotaur 4 rocket, the larger Minotaur variant. It is scheduled for launch in 2023, Eberly said. A launch site for the NROL-174 mission has not been confirmed.
...[T]he Space Force and the NRO have purchased at least one more Minotaur flight to deliver another classified payload to orbit.That mission, known as NROL-174, will use a Minotaur 4 rocket, the larger Minotaur variant. It is scheduled for launch in 2023, Eberly said. A launch site for the NROL-174 mission has not been confirmed.
Quote from: maosmiraculous on 07/13/2021 05:58 pmhttps://spaceflightnow.com/2021/06/15/three-nro-satellites-launched-by-minotaur-rocket-with-surplus-missile-parts/Quote...[T]he Space Force and the NRO have purchased at least one more Minotaur flight to deliver another classified payload to orbit.That mission, known as NROL-174, will use a Minotaur 4 rocket, the larger Minotaur variant. It is scheduled for launch in 2023, Eberly said. A launch site for the NROL-174 mission has not been confirmed.Could it launch on Minotaur IV from any of the following?:MARS (Wallops) LA-0BSpaceflight Florida, Cape Canaveral, SLC-46Vandenberg SFB, SLC-8Kodiak, AK, LP-1Or does the fact that MARS was the original designated launch site preclude Vandenberg and Kodiak because, apparently, the payload is not going to a polar or retrograde orbit?
“We’re basically on contract for three Minotaur launches. One is a Minotaur IV, which looks like it’s going to be launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in 2023, and that’s for the Space Force,” said Eberly. In total, there will be one Minotaur launch in 2022 and two launches in 2023. All three of these missions will launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and will be flown for the U.S. Space Force.
There’s also a mission assigned to a Minotaur 2 rocket — a suborbital Minotaur configuration — scheduled to fly from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in late 2021, according to the Space and Missile Systems Center.
The next three Minotaur launches, including this one, will be from Vandenberg.https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/09/ng-16-update/Quote“We’re basically on contract for three Minotaur launches. One is a Minotaur IV, which looks like it’s going to be launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in 2023, and that’s for the Space Force,” said Eberly. In total, there will be one Minotaur launch in 2022 and two launches in 2023. All three of these missions will launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and will be flown for the U.S. Space Force.The 2022 launch is probably the Minotaur II suborbital flight mentioned last year that was scheduled for later this year.https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/07/15/minotaur-rocket-successfully-deploys-four-nro-satellites-in-orbit/QuoteThere’s also a mission assigned to a Minotaur 2 rocket — a suborbital Minotaur configuration — scheduled to fly from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in late 2021, according to the Space and Missile Systems Center.Not sure what the second 2023 launch is, but it's probably not another Minotaur IV given the phrasing in Eberly's statement.
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/4736QuoteNROL-174Launch TimeNET December, 2023
NROL-174Launch TimeNET December, 2023
NextSpaceflight, updated February 13:QuoteNROL-174Launch TimeNET March 2024
NROL-174Launch TimeNET March 2024
Any new news?
NROL-174Launch TimeNET 2024
There was an industry day help for Lane 1 in August. It includes the NRO, SDA, and USSF planned contract awards & launches. https://sam.gov/opp/7111789df59149cd81596402c35e33d3/view
NROL-149 is the final NRO launch of 2024, so this launch is NET 2025:QuoteLAUNCH UPDATE: #NROL149 is scheduled to launch on a @SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base NET December 17. This mission is the sixth launch of NRO's proliferated architecture, eighth launch of 2024 and last launch of the year!https://twitter.com/NatReconOfc/status/1868287421432881211
LAUNCH UPDATE: #NROL149 is scheduled to launch on a @SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base NET December 17. This mission is the sixth launch of NRO's proliferated architecture, eighth launch of 2024 and last launch of the year!
Primary Launch Day 16 APR 1900Z-2126Z Backup Launch Day 17 APR 1900Z-2126Z
