SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket early Friday morning. It carried a classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
The mission, designated NROL-179, lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 1:50 a.m. PT.
The payload consists of an undisclosed number of spy satellites. These are part of the NRO's "proliferated architecture," a large constellation of surveillance satellites.
This mission marks SpaceX's 14th launch for the NRO's new satellite network.
It also represents the 71st Falcon 9 flight of 2026.
The Falcon 9's first-stage booster, on its third flight, returned to Earth. It landed at Vandenberg's Landing Zone 4.
The successful launch and landing continue to highlight SpaceX's role in U.S. national security space operations.