NRO Launches NROL-97 Mission on First SpaceX Falcon Heavy

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) launched its NROL-97 mission on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, marking the agency's first use of the Falcon Heavy for a national security payload under the NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2 contract. The mission reused payload fairings and side boosters from a previous NASA telescope launch, with side boosters landing successfully at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Government & Space, and 4 sources have reported it between 1 Oct 2026 and 5 Oct 2026.