Rocket Lab to Launch First Domestic NRO Mission from Wallops Island

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. Electron rocket at Launch Complex 2, Virginia Spaceport Authority's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport within NASA Wallops Flight Facility.

WALLOPS ISLAND, VA– Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (RKLB) announced a National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) mission will lift off from NASA Wallops Flight Facility in coming weeks. 

RKLB’s Electron rocket will take to orbit from Launch Complex 2 during a launch window opening March 20.

The NROL-123 mission, called “Live and Let Fly,” will assist the government in exploring launch opportunities for small satellites, according to RKLB. 

It will be RKLB’s first NRO launch from U.S. soil – after launching four from New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. 

The launch will broadcast live at www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream