Falcon 9 • NROL-172

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the NROL-172 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. The flight was the 13th mission supporting the agency’s proliferated architecture, a constellation believed to consist of Starshield satellites. At 8.5 minutes following liftoff, the first stage booster, tail number B1097, launching for a ninth time, landed on the drone ship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You’, positioned in the Pacific Ocean. Delayed from May 12. Moved up from May 13. Watch live coverage.