SpaceX launched a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office on December 9, 2025, 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.
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.
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) | — |
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.
| 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). |
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:
NROL-76 is expected to have a launch azimuth of ~43–45°, or northeast.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
| 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 |
So, in short, another Monday and another record set here on the Eastern Range. Those things are becoming routine.
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 | — |
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 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.
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
The Department of the Air Force has released its long-awaited Final Environmental Impact Statement for SpaceX’s plan to bring Starship–Super Heavy operations to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The 214-page report, published this week, clears a major hurdle for the company as it pushes to launch and land its next-generation rocket from Space Launch Complex-37.
The proposal would turn the old Delta IV pad into a fully rebuilt launch site capable of hosting up to 76 Starship flights a year. Each mission would include a booster landing just minutes after liftoff and a Starship landing hours—or in some cases years—after launch. In short, the skies above the Space Coast are going to be very busy.
The review concludes that the project would bring no major environmental obstacles across most categories.
Still, two issues stand out: air quality and noise.
The EIS points to significant community annoyance from Starship’s noise and sonic booms, especially during nighttime launches. While the report says structural damage is unlikely, the sound levels will be noticeable across the Space Coast on launch days. SpaceX plans to use heavy sound-suppression systems and coordinate public notifications in advance. Sonic booms from returning boosters and Starship itself will be endemic, day or night.
| Source / Environment | dBA |
|---|---|
| Jet engine at 100′ | 140 |
| Pain Begins | 125 |
| Pneumatic chipper at ear | 120 |
| Chain saw at 3′ | 110 |
| Power mower | 107 |
| Cape Canaveral – Starship/Superheavy Max | 98 |
| Brightline at 100′ | 95 |
| Airpods on 5/10 | 94 |
| Titusville – Starship/Superheavy Max | 93 |
| Cocoa Beach – Starship/Superheavy Max | 92 |
| Rockledge – Starship/Superheavy Max | 90 |
| Level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss | 80-90 |
| City Traffic | 85 |
| Many household appliances | 80 |
| Chamber music, in a small auditorium | 75-85 |
| Vacuum cleaner | 75 |
| Normal conversation | 60-70 |
| Business Office | 60-65 |
| Household refrigerator | 55 |
| Suburban area at night | 40 |
| Whisper | 25 |
| Quiet natural area with no wind | 20 |
| Threshold of hearing | 0 |
Sustained Exposure Hearing Loss: the common benchmark for this threshold is an 8-hour time-weighted average exposure to 85 dBA on a repeated basis. The time exposure for a Starship launch will be measured in minutes.
During operations, the rocket’s emissions are expected to exceed federal insignificance thresholds for nitrogen oxides. The Air Force and SpaceX plan to use an adaptive management strategy, reviewing new data as operations ramp up.
The review found:
| Category | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Traffic | Increases during construction and launch days are manageable. |
| Local Wildlife | Southeastern beach mouse and Florida scrub-jay will be protected through relocation and habitat restoration plans. |
| Water Resources | Wetlands will see construction impacts, but all fall under federal permitting and mitigation requirements. |
| Historic Sites | Expected to remain unaffected, with ongoing monitoring for potential noise-related impacts. |
| Marine Areas | No long-term closures; only short safety zones during launches. |
Source: SpaceX Starship/Superheavy CCSFS Final Environmental Impact Statement (PDF)
Overall, the report concludes that the project can proceed without causing significant long-term environmental harm, provided mitigation measures remain in place.
The Air Force must still issue its Record of Decision, and the FAA will release its own determination before any Starship launches or landings take place at the site. Airspace-closure details are still being finalized, with additional FAA analysis expected. At the same time, this was one of the major hurdles the SpaceX project had to clear on its way to becoming a reality.
When approved, the redevelopment of SLC-37 would position Cape Canaveral as a major operational hub for Starship activity, supporting national security missions, commercial flights, and NASA needs. SpaceX’s Boca Chica facility will work in tandem with the SpaceX Eastern Range facility to support the giant spacecraft.
As a company, SpaceX moves quickly. Once approved, it is unlikely the company will delay construction at LC-37, and once started, the work will proceed rapidly until the facility is ready for its initial use. In Boca Chica, SpaceX has constructed Starship launch and landing facilities in months, as opposed to the multi-year efforts NASA has had with SLS. It is reasonable to expect much the same here in Florida.
Oddly, SLC-37 may not be the first Starship pad to enter service on the Space Coast. Given its construction lead, that distinction is likely to go to LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. The FAA is still finalizing its Environmental Impact Study for that facility, but SpaceX has been steadily constructing its Starship launch pad on the KSC site.
Overnight, the FAA announced that it had terminated its emergency orders reducing plane flights as well as commercial space launch hours.
The following restrictions will also end:
Limits on some general aviation operations at 12 airports
Limits on some visual flight rule approaches at facilities with staffing triggers
Limits on commercial space launches and reentries to the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. local time
Limits on parachute operations and photo missions near facilities with staffing triggers
Only three days earlier, on November 13, the FAA had “made permanent” the rules it rescinded yesterday.
“Today’s decision to rescind the order reflects the steady decline in staffing concerns across the NAS and allows us to return to normal operations,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “I am grateful for the hard work of the FAA safety and operations teams and for their focus on the safety of the traveling public.”
The rescission of the emergency order is good news for all launch services companies, but especially for SpaceX. They have a high cadence of Starlink launches on both coasts, and while they usually launch in the late hours of the evening or early hours overnight, there are many times when orbital mechanics demand a launch between 6am and 10pm — the hours formerly restricted.
Tomorrow’s Starlink launch, for example. The launch window opens at 6:29 PM ET, and extends until 10:29 PM ET the same day. While SpaceX could have waited until 10 PM to launch Starlink 6-94, they would undoubtedly prefer to have the ability launch earlier legally.
| Organization | SpaceX |
| Location | Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 |
| Pad | Space Launch Complex 40 |
| Status | Go for Launch |
| Status Info | Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources. |
| Window Opens | Tuesday, 11/18/2025 6:29:00 PM |
| Window Closes | Tuesday, 11/18/2025 10:29:00 PM |
| Destination | Low Earth Orbit |
| Mission Description | A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation – SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system. |
Now they can.
On a rare night when two different companies were set to launch hours apart from adjacent launch pads, SpaceX launched Starlink 6-81 from Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:31 pm ET. Falcon 9 flew on a southeasterly trajectory, and completed a trouble-free mission that saw the company deploy another 29 Starlink satellites into the megaconstellation now in low Earth Orbit.
Next up was United Launch Alliance, with the venerable Atlas V on the pad at Space Launch Complex 41. It was set to lift off at 10:24 pm ET, but it was not to be. Everything looked fine until it didn’t, and despite the effort of ULA engineers to solve an issue with a sticky valve, the launch was “Scrubbed […] due to an issue encountered while cycling the booster liquid oxygen tank vent valve during final checkouts.”
ULA added in a statement to the press that “The team will require additional time for troubleshooting and is setting up for a 24-hour recycle.
“The launch is now planned for Thursday Nov. 6th at 10:16 p.m. ET at the opening of a 44-minute window.”
Tonight’s payload for Falcon 9 was 29 Starlink satellites that will now join the other Starlink satellites from Group 6 in the Starlink constellation.
That array of satellites provides Internet connectivity globally to over seven million customers in over 125 countries and territories, spanning all seven continents.
| Organization | United Launch Alliance |
| Location | Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA |
| Rocket | Atlas V 551 |
| Pad | Space Launch Complex 41 |
| Status | Go for Launch |
| Status Info | Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources. |
| Window Opens | Thursday, 11 / 06 / 2025 10:16 PM |
| Window Closes | Thursday, 11 / 06 / 2025 11:00 PM |
| Destination | Geostationary Transfer Orbit |
| Mission Description | The ViaSat-3 is a series of three Ka-band satellites expected to provide very high service speed and flexibility; each ViaSat-3 class satellite targets >1 Tbps of network capacity and can dynamically direct capacity to where customers are located. |
As of 12:00 AM Thursday November 6, 2025. Launch assignments and times are subject to change or cancellation at any time. Consult ULA.com for updates.
United Launch Alliance is set to fly their last commercial payload on an Atlas V (* other than Project Kuiper) this week from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The payload is ViaSat-3 — or VS-3 F2 in ViaSat parlance — is a telecommunications satellite that the company expects to more than double the bandwidth capacity of their entire existing fleet. The launch is currently scheduled for 10:24 PM EST on Wednesday, November 5th.
SpaceX also has a Starlink launch scheduled for Wednesday, but will likely yield the Eastern Range to ULA for their launch if ULA is ready to proceed. Stay tuned — it sounds like Wednesday will have a rocket launch of some kind, whether it be a Falcon 9 or an Atlas V.
Meanwhile, south of ULA and SpaceX’s launch complexes, Blue Origin continues to prepare New Glenn for its planned launch next week. It’s hard to recall a time when this many different rockets from different companies are all heading to the pad to launch in the space of only a few days.
| Organization | United Launch Alliance |
| Location | Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA |
| Rocket | Atlas V 551 |
| Pad | Space Launch Complex 41 |
| Status | Go for Launch |
| Status Info | Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources. |
| Window Opens | Wednesday, 11 / 05 / 2025 10:24 PM |
| Window Closes | Wednesday, 11 / 05 / 2025 11:08 PM |
| Destination | Geostationary Transfer Orbit |
| Mission Description | The ViaSat-3 is a series of three Ka-band satellites expected to deliver >1 Tbps of network capacity with flexible, dynamically directed service to where customers are located. |
As of 10:30 AM ET Monday November 3, 2025. Launch assignments and times are subject to change or cancellation at any time. Consult ULA for updates.
The 45th Weather Squadron of Space Launch Delta 45 has released their official Launch Mission Execution Forecast: 95% GO throughout the launch window:
The target orbit for the ViaSat-3 mission is believed to be ~11,700 × 23,600 km, with an inclination of ~6.0 °. After payload separation, the satellite will move to its final operational position in a sun-synchronous orbit under its own power.
Given that this is a launch from Cape Canaveral’s SLC-41, Jetty Park, The Banana River Bridge and southern Titusville Parks are your best bets.
Cocoa Beach and the northern Titusville parks will have an excellent view as well.
For official updates regarding launch times, the ULA mission page is the best source of information: ViaSat-3 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.
Speaking of streaming, if possible, watch one of the YouTube streams for the latest/greatest information. Things change pretty fast as the countdown heads towards zero, and the dulcet tones of Will Robinson-Smith on Spaceflight Now or the announcers on ULA’s live stream will keep you up to date.
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.
Next Space Flight an app for iOS and Android phones, has a real-time countdown clock that is accurate to a second, give or take. The app is free. Search the App Store or Google Play. They are also on the web: nextspaceflight.com.
| Area | Spot | Distance to SLC-40 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Canaveral | SR-528 Bennett Causeway pull-offs | ~11–12 mi | Free roadside shoulder; arrive early; bring chairs. |
| Port Canaveral | SR-401 / Port waterfront | ~11–13 mi | Free public areas; sightlines toward pads; occasional security closures. Port launch viewing info. |
| Port Canaveral | Jetty Park (pier & beach) | ~12–13 mi | Park fee; restrooms & concessions; popular & crowded. Jetty Park fees/passes. |
| Cape Canaveral (city) | Cherie Down Park | ~13–14 mi | Free public beach access; small parking lot. |
| Cocoa Beach | Cocoa Beach Pier | ~17–20 mi | Public beach; shops & restrooms; tourist crowds. Parking fees (city). |
| Cocoa Beach | Alan Shepard Park | ~18–19 mi | Paid parking; restrooms; easy beach access. Parking fees (city). |
| Cocoa Beach | Lori Wilson Park | ~19–20 mi | Free parking; restrooms & boardwalks; large lot. |
| Titusville / US-1 | Max Brewer Bridge & Parrish Park | ~12–14 mi | Free public area; elevated views; fills quickly. |
| Titusville / US-1 | Space View Park | ~13–15 mi | Free public park; historical displays; occasional audio feeds. |
| Titusville / US-1 | Rotary Riverfront Park | ~13–15 mi | Free public park; open river views; moderate parking. |
| Titusville / US-1 | Kennedy Point Park | ~13–15 mi | Free public park; long riverfront; good tripod space. |
| Titusville / US-1 | Space Bar (Rooftop) | ~12–14 mi | Rooftop bar at Courtyard by Marriott with launch views; seating fills quickly. official hours. |
Links to streaming sources for the launch are below.
| Streaming Source | Availability |
|---|---|
| Spaceflight Now | One hour prior to liftoff |
| ULA YouTube | One half hour prior to liftoff |
| ULA Mission Page | One half hour prior to liftoff |
When Falcon 9 is on a night launch with RTLS, a gorgeous post-staging nebula is the result.
It is a shimmering, beautiful event in the sky, maybe 50% bigger than a full moon overhead.
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