SpaceX to launch Falcon 9 for NRO from Vandenberg Friday
SpaceX is kicking off a Falcon 9 launch early Friday, June 19, 2026, from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base.
This mission, named NROL-179, is all about sending new spy satellites up for the US National Reconnaissance Office, aiming to give the government sharper eyes in space.
The liftoff window starts at 4:40am EDT (0840 GMT), so it's an early one!
NROL-179 advances NRO satellite network
NROL-179 is the 14th mission building out a next-generation satellite network that's designed to handle bigger threats and deliver way more signals and images than before.
The Falcon 9 rocket's first stage will land back at Vandenberg a little less than eight minutes after liftoff. Pretty impressive for its third flight!
This marks SpaceX's 71st Falcon 9 launch this year, with most launches previously focused on Starlink.
If you want to catch it live, the stream starts 10 minutes before liftoff and wraps up quickly per the NRO's request.