January 17, 2026, 12:24 AM EST. SpaceX is set to launch the NROL-105 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, carrying an undisclosed number of National Reconnaissance Office satellites into low Earth orbit. The payload is believed to be Starshield, a government variant of Starlink. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East is scheduled for 8:39:51 p.m. PST within a 35-minute window. First-stage booster B1100 will attempt a landing at Landing Zone 4 about 7.5 minutes after liftoff, the 33rd LZ-4 landing and SpaceX's 560th booster recovery. The NRO aims to deploy a proliferated constellation through 2029 to improve timeliness, resiliency and coverage, with hundreds of small satellites and data delivered quickly. Roughly half a dozen missions are planned for 2026, including NROL-105.
