Early Friday morning, on March 21, SpaceX is poised to establish a new record for rocket reuse if all goes according to plan. The highly anticipated launch of a Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled for 2:49 a.m. EDT (0649 GMT; 11:49 p.m. on March 20 local California time) from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base. This mission, designated NROL-57, is being conducted for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
The Falcon 9 rocket's first stage has a noteworthy history, having previously lifted the SPHEREx space telescope and PUNCH solar probes for NASA on March 11. If the NROL-57 mission launches on time, it will mark the second flight of this booster in just over nine days, thereby surpassing the existing Falcon 9 turnaround record of 14 days. This achievement highlights SpaceX’s commitment to enhancing rocket reusability and operational efficiency.
SpaceX will provide live coverage of the NROL-57 launch via X, starting approximately 10 minutes prior to liftoff. This live stream will allow space enthusiasts and the general public to witness the historic event as it unfolds.
NROL-57 represents the eighth launch under the NRO's innovative proliferated architecture, which the agency describes as a revolutionary approach to satellite deployment. This architecture is characterized by a constellation of numerous smaller satellites that are designed to enhance capability and resilience. While the mission description is somewhat brief and deliberately vague—reflecting the classified nature of the NRO's activities—it suggests that the proliferated architecture may primarily utilize Starshield satellites. These are modified versions of SpaceX's Starlink broadband satellites tailored for reconnaissance missions.
Since May 2024, the NRO has successfully launched seven previous missions under this proliferated architecture, all from Vandenberg on Falcon 9 rockets. If the launch proceeds as planned on Friday morning, the Falcon 9's first stage is expected to return to Earth for a landing at Vandenberg approximately 7.5 minutes post-launch. This mission will mark the fourth flight for this particular booster, showcasing SpaceX's ongoing innovation in rocket technology. Meanwhile, the rocket's upper stage will continue its journey to deliver the NROL-57 payloads into orbit, though specific details regarding their deployment remain undisclosed.
