December 2025

Liftoff of SpaceX NROL-77 on December 9, 2025. Photo: Charles Boyer
SpaceX Falcon 9, carrying the NROL-77 mission for NRO, lifts off on December 9, 2025. Photo: Charles Boyer
SpaceX Falcon 9, carrying the NROL-77 mission for NRO, lifts off on December 9, 2025.
Photo: Charles Boyer

SpaceX launched a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office today aboard Falcon 9.

Liftoff was at 02:16:25pm ET into leaden skies, with the rocket quickly behind the clouds, probably much to the delight of NRO. The launch direction was northeast.

At T+08:17s was NROL-77 was in its initial orbit and roughly eleven seconds later, Booster 1096 returned to land safely at LZ-2 inside Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at T+08:28s.

That, in a nutshell, is pretty much all that’s publicly known about the mission.

At 6:00 PM NRO announced the mission was a success.

Falcon 9 entering the clouds this afternoon as it headed to orbit with NROL-77 Photo: Charles Boyer
Falcon 9 entering the clouds this afternoon as it headed to orbit with NROL-77
Photo: Charles Boyer

Launch Replay

Next Launch

Next Launch: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 6-90

Go for Launch • Cape Canaveral SFS • SLC-40

Field Details
Mission Starlink Group 6-90 (29 satellites)
Organization SpaceX
Rocket Falcon 9
Launch Site Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
Pad Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40)
Window Opens Thursday, 12/11/2025 1:59:00 PM (ET)
Window Closes Thursday, 12/11/2025 5:59:00 PM (ET)
Destination Low Earth Orbit
Status Info Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources.
Mission Description A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation — SpaceX’s space-based Internet communication system.
Countdown (to window open) —
As of: — (your local time)
Launch times are subject to change due to weather, range operations, and mission requirements.

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NROL created a flying squirrel logo for their secret-squirrel launch today.

SpaceX will be launching a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office today from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral. Liftoff is at 2:16:25 PM, in an instantaneous window, and about 8.5 minutes later, the booster used for the mission will land at LZ-2 inside Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Expect a sonic boom to rattle the windows a short time afterwards as the booster heralds its return.

At A Glance

Launch Preview — At a Glance
As of: December 9, 2025 (America/New_York)
Mission Falcon 9 Block 5 | NROL-77
Status Go for Launch
Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources.
Rocket Falcon 9 (Block 5)
Operator SpaceX
Launch Site Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40)
Window Opens: Tuesday, December 9, 2025 — 2:16:25 PM ET
Closes: Tuesday, December 9, 2025 — 2:16:25 PM ET
(Instantaneous window)
Destination Unknown (classified)
Mission Notes Classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
Tip: Times are shown in Eastern Time (America/New_York). Launch schedules can change quickly due to weather and range operations.

Weather

Weather is just about perfect, according the 45th Weather Squadron of Space Launch Delta 45. Their Launch Mission Execution Forecast gives a greater than 95% chance of acceptable weather at launch time:

Credit: US Space Force. Retrieved 09:30am December 9, 2025

Trajectory

NROL-76 is expected to have a launch azimuth of ~43–45°, or northeast.

Online Viewing

SpaceX will have a livestream of the launch on their website: NROL-77  This will also be available on the X platform. Coverage starts about fifteen minutes before liftoff.

Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link

For official updates regarding launch times, SpaceX.com is the best source of information. Starlink launch times change from time to time, and the company generally updates their website within minutes of the decision to change the launch time. This is very handy if none of the streaming options on YouTube have started their broadcasts.

If you are watching in person on the Space Coast, remember that there is a delay between a launch stream and the actual countdown clock. That is simply because of physics: it takes time for the signal to travel from the launch site, through the Internet, and back down to your phone, resulting in a five to fifteen-second delay.

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Starlink 6-92 launching from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center today. Credit: SpaceX

“Well…it’s Monday…again, and SpaceX launched 29 Starlink satellites to Low-Earth Orbit on another routine Falcon 9 flight this afternoon.” You can almost hear Bill Murray saying that in the role of newsman Phil Connors in the movie “Groundhog Day.” SpaceX launches that often on the Space Coast, and today, the company launched another Starlink mission, and Booster B0167 successfully completed its 32nd flight.

Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day”

Liftoff occurred at 5:26 p.m. EST (2226 UTC) from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, and into mostly leaden, overcast skies that were just starting to clear after a cold front passed through the Space Coast region in the past couple of days.

The flight was nominal, and at T+8:23s Booster B1067 touched down aboard ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions’, stationed in the Atlantic east of The Bahamas. Fifteen seconds later, the second stage of Falcon 9 reached SECO, or Second Stage Engine Cut-Off, and was in its initial orbit.

The Clubhouse Leader With 32 Flights

Booster B1067.32 remains the all-time leader for SpaceX boosters, having earned its soot on the CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat 5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, SES O3B mPOWER-A, PSN SATRIA, Telkomsat Merah Putih 2, Galileo L13, Koreasat-6A, and now 21 Starlink missions.

That’s quite a resumé, and on SpaceX must certainly be proud of. Now aboard ‘Just Read The Instructions’, it will return to Port Canaveral, where it will be offloaded, transported to HangarX at Kennedy Space Center and ostensibly prepared for its next flight.

Top 5 Most Reflown Falcon 9 Boosters | Talk of Titusville
🚀

Fleet Leaders by Flight Count

Rank Booster Flights Notable Achievements
1 B1067 32 flights Current record holder • Guinness World Record • First to reach 30 flights
2 B1071 30 flights Most spacecraft to orbit: 1,001 • Vandenberg workhorse • 5 NRO missions
3 B1063 29 flights Oldest surviving booster in fleet • First flight Nov 2020 • Launched NASA DART
4 B1069 28 flights Most mass to orbit: 401,140 kg • Carried FIFA World Cup balls to space
5 B1077 25 flights Flew Crew-5, GPS III SV06, CRS-28 • Active Cape Canaveral booster

Data current as of December 8, 2025

SpaceX boosters certified for up to 40 flights

So, in short, another Monday and another record set here on the Eastern Range. Those things are becoming routine.

Launch Replay

Next Launch

Next Launch: Falcon 9 Block 5 | NROL-77

Go for Launch • Cape Canaveral SFS • SLC-40

Field Details
Mission NROL-77 (Classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office)
Organization SpaceX
Rocket Falcon 9
Launch Site Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
Pad Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40)
Window Opens Tuesday, 12/09/2025 2:16:25 PM (ET)
Window Closes Tuesday, 12/09/2025 2:16:25 PM (ET)
Destination Unknown (not publicly disclosed)
Status Info Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources.
Mission Description Classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.
Countdown —
As of: — (your local time)
Note: NRO missions often release limited details due to classification; times may shift with range/weather/operations.
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SpaceX Starship Photo: SpaceX

SpaceX just cleared a major hurdle for bringing Starship to Cape Canaveral.

The Department of the Air Force has officially signed off on a plan that lets SpaceX redevelop Space Launch Complex 37 for Starship and Super Heavy operations.

Their Record of Decision lays out how the company can rebuild the pad, transport hardware, and eventually fly and land the massive booster and ship right here on the Space Coast.

The approval covers everything from construction work to vehicle processing to road upgrades. Phillips Parkway and Old A1A inside Cape Canaveral Space Force Station will be widened so Starship hardware can move between the Cape and Kennedy Space Center.

The Record Of Decision Document

CCSFS-Starship-ROD_FINAL_SIGNED_508Download


“No Practical Alternative”

The Air Force says there is no practical alternative to building at SLC-37, but it requires a long list of safeguards. Environmental controls were the most prominent conditions, including dust control, flood and hurricane resilience, noise-reduction systems, wildlife protections, historic-site monitoring, stormwater controls, and plans for wetlands and habitat restoration.

SpaceX must also cover the costs of any permanent habitat loss and follow strict rules for species such as the southeastern beach mouse, the Florida scrub-jay, and the gopher tortoise.

Practical Effects

Residents can expect traffic controls during construction and high-profile launches, continued public notifications for loud events and sonic booms, and a dedicated process for handling damage claims. The document also outlines how SpaceX and the Space Force will coordinate with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Cape Canaveral National Seashore, and nearby agencies to minimize disruptions.

With the decision signed on November 20, 2025, the path is now open for SpaceX to add Starship to Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy on the Eastern Range, marking another major expansion of launch activity on the Space Coast. The final lease agreement, pad construction and last but not least, Starship completing its development phase still remain, of course, so it will be a while before Starship launches here…but it won’t be a very long while.

See also: Department of the Air Force Releases Final Environmental Impact Statement For Starship At SLC-37

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On November 18, 2025, Blue Origin filed a request to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to allow water discharges into the Indian River Lagoon, an environmentally sensitive area that is in a poor state after years of being polluted by industrial, governmental and even domestic sources.

Much has been made of this request in social media, but it seems like very few people have actually read the documents to see what is being asked.

That document is below, along with a factual summary of the information contained inside.

The Notification

DEP issued a Notice of Draft Permit (published Nov. 18, 2025) for Blue Origin to operate an industrial wastewater treatment facility at its Blue Origin OLS Manufacturing Complex located on Space Commerce Way on Merritt Island.

The draft permit (file FL0A00007-002-IW7A) would authorize up to 0.49 million gallons per day (MGD) of treatment, with planned discharges of 0.467 MGD of process wastewater and 0.015 MGD of non-process wastewater into a large onsite stormwater pond (about 402,981 sq ft), which then flows to the Indian River.

The Document

2025.10.27 Notice of Draft Permit-FDEP (1)Download

Wastewater Summary

The DEP document summarizes the wastewater treatment as:

Blue Origin’s site uses a centralized purified-water system to support component testing and cleaning operations across multiple buildings. Soft water from Building A is further treated in Building D’s Water Room using carbon filtration and reverse osmosis, then pumped to points of use in Buildings D, B, and G.

After use (mainly for tank proofing and rinsing), wastewater from Buildings D and G is routed back to Building D’s discharge manifold and then to the storm sewer system and an onsite stormwater pond; Building G returns via a dedicated wet well/pump system, while Building B has no return flow path.

The project proposes adding a continuous flow meter and an integrated, flow-proportional sampler (IW-1) at Building D’s discharge manifold to continuously measure discharge and collect representative samples before the water reaches the retention pond and ultimately the Ransom Road Ditch.

A major intermittent discharge source is periodic carbon-filter rinsing, storage tank dumps, and line purges done for preventative maintenance to reduce bacterial growth—also routed through IW-1.

Separately, Building A’s chiller plant cooling towers periodically “blow down” mineral-laden water to control solids buildup from evaporation. That cooling-tower blowdown would be discharged for surface-water disposal (IW-2) to the retention pond and then to the outfall toward the Ransom Road Ditch, rather than to the sanitary sewer.

The facility would discharge treated/conditioned wastewater to an existing large onsite retention pond (about 402,981 square feet) to provide dilution before the water ultimately flows to the Ransom Road Ditch, classified as Class II waters.

D-001 (existing outfall): permitted for up to 0.467 MGD daily maximum flow; the ditch segment described is about 48 feet long, with discharge at approximately 0 feet depth; location near 28°30’42″N, 80°40’51″W.

D-002 (new outfall): permitted for up to 0.015 MGD daily maximum flow; the ditch segment described is about 4 feet long, also discharging at approximately 0 feet depth; location near 28°30’36″N, 80°40’42″W.

Paraphrasal of FL0A00007-002-IW7A

Also contained in the document are prohibitions:

Discharge Requirements
The discharge shall not contain components that, alone or in combination with other substances or in combination with other components of the discharge:
Item Prohibited Condition
a. Settle to form putrescent deposits or otherwise create a nuisance
b. Float as debris, scum, oil, or other matter in such amounts as to form nuisances
c. Produce color, odor, taste, turbidity, or other conditions in such degree as to create a nuisance
d. Are acutely toxic
e. Are present in concentrations which are carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic to human beings or to significant, locally occurring, wildlife or aquatic species, unless specific standards are established for such components in subsection 62-302.500(2) or Rule 62-302.530, F.A.C.
f. Pose a serious danger to the public health, safety, or welfare
Reference: Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.)

Limitations and Monitoring

The document calls for the following limits and monitoring activities:

Effluent Limitations Table
Parameter Units Effluent Limitations Monitoring Requirements
Max./Min. Limit Statistical Basis Frequency of Analysis Sample Type
Flow MGD Max
Max		 0.49
Report		 Daily Maximum
Annual Average		 Daily, when discharging Meter
pH s.u. Min
Max		 6
9		 Monthly Average
Monthly Average		 Daily, when discharging Grab
Oil and Grease mg/L Max 5.0 Daily Maximum Daily, when discharging 8-hr FPC
Nitrogen, Total mg/L Max 3.0 Annual Average Quarterly 8-hr FPC
Phosphorus, Total (as P) mg/L Max 1.0 Annual Average Quarterly 8-hr FPC
Units: MGD = Million Gallons per Day  |  s.u. = Standard Units (pH scale)  |  mg/L = Milligrams per Liter  |  8-hr FPC = 8-Hour Flow Proportional Composite

Public Input

DEP says it intends to issue the permit unless public comments lead to changes. The application and supporting materials can be reviewed at DEP’s Central District Office in Orlando during business hours.

Anyone interested may submit written comments or request a public meeting (with specific required information) to the DEP contact listed in the notice. For most people, the deadline to comment or request a meeting is within 30 days of publication (i.e., Dec. 18, 2025,
30 days from Nov. 18, 2025), and if a public meeting is held, the comment period runs until the meeting closes.

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