SpaceX is targeting 3:09 am ET Thursday for the launch of Falcon 9 carrying the NROL-95 payload on a classified mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. The launch will be from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. A backup opportunity is available at 2:55 am Friday if the launch is delayed. SpaceX plans to start its live webcast about 10-15 minutes before liftoff.
The NRO said the flight is its fourth launch of 2026 and its second this year flown in partnership with Space Systems Command. The mission was assigned to SpaceX under the National Security Space Launch Phase 2 contract.
Tonight’s flight is planned as a Return to Launch Site profile, meaning that after Booster B1096 completes its ascent duties, it will land at Cape Canaveral’s Landing Zone 2. As such, the Space Coast can expect a sonic boom from the returning booster.
The first stage is booster B1096, flying for the seventh time. Its résumé includes KF-01, IMAP, NROL-77, GPS III-9, CRS-34 and one Starlink mission. It last flew May 15.
NROL-95 Launch At a Glance
Go for Launch
| Launch Date | Thursday, July 30, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Launch Window | 2:37–3:21 a.m. EDT |
| Mission | NROL-95 |
| Launch Provider | SpaceX |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 |
| Launch Site | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida |
| Launch Pad | Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) |
| Destination | Not publicly disclosed |
| Payload | Classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. |
| Status | Current liftoff time confirmed by official or reliable sources. |
Payload
Almost nothing about the payload is public, and that is by design. Publicly available launch schedules list the destination as “unknown.” In short, the public does not meet the need-to-know criteria for this classified information, and as such, it will not be disclosed. That’s normal. As a rule, NRO does not disclose the spacecraft, the target orbit, or the intelligence mission behind a launch designated NROL.
What can be said is that the agency has leaned heavily on Falcon 9 for its recent manifest. Four NRO launches in a single year says as much about demand for orbital intelligence as it does about the cadence one provider can sustain from the Cape. With Blue Origin and ULA offline due to problems with their launch systems, that leaves SpaceX as the only game in town.
Weather
There is no forecast available from the 45th Weather Squadron for today’s launch at the time of this writing. The National Weather Service general forecast calls for a 15% chance of showers through the forecast period with light winds, so 75-80% GO sounds like a good guess. We will update this article once the Space Force issues their Launch Mission Execution Forecast.
Trajectory
East-Southeast.
Online Viewing
SpaceX will have a livestream of the launch on their website: NROL 95. This will also be available on the X platform. Coverage starts about five minutes before liftoff.
Talk of Titusville will always be free to access.
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Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link
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.
Launch Viewing: In Person
The best free options are available for spectators: Northern Titusville parks on Washington Avenu / US-1 are your best bets: Space View Park, Sands Park, Rotary Riverfront Park.
Author: Charles Boyer
NASA kid from Cocoa Beach, FL, born of Project Apollo parents and family. I’m a writer and photographer sharing the story of spaceflight from the Eastern Range here in Florida.
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