Falcon Heavy set to launch classified NROL-97 to high-energy orbit

Date:
Thu, 01 Oct 2026 19:17:40 +0000

Description:
SpaceXs Falcon Heavy is poised atop Launch Complex 39A once again, this time to launch The post Falcon Heavy set to launch classified NROL-97 to high-energy orbit appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .

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SpaceXs Falcon Heavy is poised atop Launch Complex 39A once again, this time to launch the classified NROL-97 payload for the United States National Reconnaissance Office. Falcon Heavy is scheduled to liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center at 11:53 PM EDT (03:53 UTC) on Oct. 1, following a trajectory into a high-energy orbit.

The mission will mark the quickest turnaround between Falcon Heavy missions, with the rocket having last launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
for NASA on Aug. 30. As with that mission, the two side boosters will be recovered, while the center core will be expended.





Falcon Heavy and launch details

Falcon Heavy is expected to launch from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on Thursday, Oct. 1. A 59-minute launch window opens at 11:53 PM EDT (03:53 UTC), running until 12:52 AM EDT (04:52 UTC) on Oct. 2. In the event of a scrub, a backup opportunity is available
for the following day at 11:48 PM EDT. See Also NROL-97 Updates SpaceX Forum Section NSF Store Click here to Join L2

The vehicle will launch on a northeasterly trajectory to deliver a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) to a high-energy orbit. Due to the payloads mass, Falcon Heavys center core, booster B1106, will be expended to maximize stage performance and ensure the classified payload is placed on the correct trajectory. B1106 will be on its first and final
flight, a common practice for Falcon Heavy center cores.

The outer boosters, B1072 and B1104, will land at Landing Zones 2 (LZ-2) and
1 (LZ-1), respectively. B1072 will be on its fourth flight, previously supporting the GOES-U, ViaSat 3 F3, and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope missions. B1104 will be on its second flight, having previously supported the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope mission as well.

Falcon Heavy is SpaceXs super-heavy-lift, partially reusable launch vehicle that can deliver up to 63,800 kg to low-Earth orbit and 26,700 kg to geostationary transfer orbit. The 70-m-tall vehicle has 5.2-m-diameter
fairing halves. The first stage features three side-by-side Falcon boosters, each powered by nine Merlin 1D sea-level engines fueled by kerosene (RP-1)
and liquid oxygen (LOX). The outer boosters are usually recovered on land via return-to-launch-site (RTLS) trajectories, with the center core mostly expended. Falcon Heavy and its 27 Merlin engines in the hangar at Launch Complex 39A in Florida pic.twitter.com/ETejT6zPD2

SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 28, 2026



The second stage uses a single Merlin 1D vacuum-optimized engine, capable of multiple restarts, and is fueled by RP-1 and LOX. Unlike the first stage boosters, the second stage is expended. In total, Falcon Heavy has a total liftoff thrust of 22,819 kilonewtons (kN).

The NROL-97 payload

As usual for a National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) mission, the exact identity and technical details of the NROL-97 payload are classified.
However, opting for Falcon Heavy particularly a configuration that uses an expended center core suggests a high-mass payload. The targeted high-energy orbit also points to potential orbital destinations such as the geostationary-Earth orbit (GEO), medium-Earth orbit (MEO), or a highly elliptical orbit (HEO).

Unlike low-Earth orbit (LEO) reconnaissance assets that offer brief imaging windows, payloads in high-energy orbits can provide continuous coverage of specific regions. These orbits are frequently used for intelligence, missile-warning, or missile-defense satellites, as well as Earth observation and weather satellites. The NRO likely will not disclose any payload details in the near future.

Following NROL-97, Falcon Heavys next mission, Griffin Mission One, is scheduled to launch no earlier than December 2026. The mission will see
Falcon Heavy launch an Astrobotic-developed lunar lander under NASAs Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The vehicle will perform a trans-lunar injection burn to deliver the uncrewed 6,360 kg Griffin One
lander to the lunar surface. Falcon Heavy rolls out to LC-39A with NROL-97. (Credit: SpaceX)

The next mission after this, Astrobotic Lunar Mission 3, is tentatively scheduled for 2027. The commercial flight will deliver payloads to the Moons South Pole aboard another Astrobotic lander; these potentially include the FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform (FLIP) rover developed by Venturi Astrolab. Alongside its lunar missions, Falcon Heavy is scheduled to launch a heavy payload manifest for the United States Space Force (USSF) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in 2027.

Despite the Falcon familys pending retirement in the coming years, Falcon Heavys manifest is full, and it will likely continue flying for several years until Starship becomes fully operational and can take over SpaceXs heavy-lift missions.

(Lead Image: The NROL-97 Falcon Heavy sits atop LC-39A. Credit: SpaceX)



The post Falcon Heavy set to launch classified NROL-97 to high-energy orbit appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .



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Link to news story:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/10/nrol97-launch/


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