Watch the Launch

Additional Media

SpaceX - Falcon 9 - NROL-57 - SLC-4E - Vandenberg SFB - March 20, 2025

Launch Date: March 20, 2025 Launch Time: 11:49 p.m. PDT - March 21, 0649 UTC, 07:49 CET Launch Window: 1:17 a.m. PDT, March 21 Launch Site: SLC-4E - Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA Target...

Watch live: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from California on U.S. spy satellite agency mission

Watch live coverage as SpaceX launches a Falcon 9 rocket thought to be carrying an undisclosed number of Starshield satellites for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Liftoff of the NROL-57...

NROL-57 Mission

Livestream on X

SpaceX

SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.

NROL-57

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Unknown
Mission: Government/Top Secret

Unknown Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
B1088 - Landing Zone 4

Eighth batch of satellites for a reconnaissance satellite constellation built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the National Reconnaissance Office to provide imaging and other reconnaissance capabilities.

Telemetry

Launch trajectory and telemetry simulations provided by Flight Club - a rocket launch simulator and orbital trajectory visualiser for all things space!

Updates


Cosmic_Penguin • March 21, 2025, 6:50 a.m.

Liftoff.


LL2 • March 21, 2025, 6:34 a.m.

Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started


Cosmic_Penguin • March 20, 2025, 4:07 p.m.

GO for launch.


Cosmic_Penguin • March 19, 2025, 3:57 p.m.

NET March 21.


Falcon 9

Family:
Configuration: Block 5

Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.

See Details
Specifications
  • Minimum Stage
    1
  • Max Stage
    2
  • Length
    70.0 m
  • Diameter
    3.65 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.2 m
  • Launch Mass
    549.0 T
  • Thrust
    7607.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Falcon 9
  • Family
  • Variant
    Block 5
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Falcon 9 Block 5
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $52000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    22800.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    8300.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Booster Info


B1088

Status: Active


Type: Core
Flight Proven: Yes
First Flight: November 30, 2024
Last Flight: June 28, 2025
Flights: 8
Landings Attempted: 8
Landings Successful: 8
Previous B1088 Flights

Landing Information

The Falcon 9 booster B1088 has returned to the launch site at LZ-4 after its 4th flight.

Result: Successful Return to Launch Site landing at Landing Zone 4.

SpaceX

SpaceX

(SpX)

CEO: Elon Musk Founded: 2002 Successes: 533 Failures: 15 Pending: 121

Agency Type:

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars. SpaceX operates from many pads, on the East Coast of the US they operate from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and historic LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. They also operate from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, usually for polar launches. Another launch site is being developed at Boca Chica, Texas.

INFO WIKI

Related News

SpaceNews

NRO expands spy satellite network with back-to-back SpaceX launches

The NROL-69 mission launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The post NRO expands spy satellite network with back-to-back SpaceX launches appeared first on SpaceNews.

Arstechnica

Rocket Report: Falcon 9 may smash reuse record; Relativity roving to Texas?

"It is what he has always dreamt of."

Spaceflight Now

Live coverage: SpaceX to launch reconnaissance satellites for the NRO on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg

The NROL-57 mission will be the eighth launch supporting the National Reconnaissance Office’s proliferated architecture satellite constellation. Liftoff is set for 11:49 p.m. PDT (2:49 a.m. EDT, 0649 UTC).

NASASpaceflight

Launch Roundup: Electron, Falcon 9, and Ceres-1 launches scheduled for the week

The busy launch manifests of recent weeks are set to continue, with Falcon 9, Electron,… The post Launch Roundup: Electron, Falcon 9, and Ceres-1 launches scheduled for the week appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Space Launch Complex 4E


Smart Dragon 3
Success
2 days, 18 hours ago
Geely Constellation Group 04
Oriental Spaceport mobile launch ship - Sea Launch

11 LEO communications satellites for Chinese car manufacturer Geely Automotive for testing autonomous driving/inter-vehicle communication services. T…


Electron
Success
6 days, 6 hours ago
The Harvest Goddess Thrives (iQPS Launch 4)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Synthetic aperture radar Earth observation satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company iQPS.


Long March 12
Success
1 week ago
SatNet LEO Group 07
Commercial LC-2 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group.…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week ago
Starlink Group 10-30
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


New Shepard
Success
1 week ago
NS-34
West Texas Suborbital Launch Site/ Corn Ranch - Corn Ranch, Van Horn, TX, USA

NS-34 is the 14th crewed flight for the New Shepard program and the 34th in its history.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Crew-11
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

SpaceX Crew-11 is the eleventh crewed operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial …


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
Starlink Group 13-4
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 19 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Kuaizhou
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
PRSC-S1
Mobile Launcher Pad - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Chinese built Earth observation satellite for Pakistan’s SUPARCO (Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission).


GSLV Mk II
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar)
Satish Dhawan Space Centre Second Launch Pad - Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India

The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, or NISAR satellite, will use advanced radar imaging to map the elevation of Earth's land and ice masses 4 to …


Long March 8A
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
SatNet LEO Group 06
Commercial LC-1 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group.…