This mission is the thirteenth overall launch of the NRO’s multi-phenomenology proliferated architecture and second proliferated launch of 2026. NROL-172 is also the second mission in partnership with SSC SYD 80 under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 Launch Service NRO Task Order awarded in October 2024. NSSL, a government launch acquisition partnership program between SSC and the NRO aimed at ensuring continued assured access to space for national security missions, is overseen and operated by SSC headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base in California.

NRO’s ability to leverage multiple acquisition approaches demonstrates NRO’s commitment to delivering critical national systems on orbit faster than ever before. The NRO’s proliferated architecture, in addition to our other ISR systems, supports multiple missions across the intelligence and Department of War (DoW) communities, including the ground moving target indicator mission as part of the DoW’s space-based sensing and targeting architecture.

Through sustained launch activity and accelerated deployment of next-generation systems, NRO fields the most advanced and capable government constellation our nation has ever delivered with hundreds of satellites now on orbit. Building on this momentum, 2026 is poised to be another dynamic year with a robust launch schedule. Many of these missions will advance the NRO’s proliferated architecture, with additional proliferated launches planned through 2029 to ensure sustained growth and innovation.

Source: NRO

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These awards mark a significant step in expanding the NRO’s access to cutting-edge multi-phenomenology remote sensing capabilities, including electrooptical (EO), hyperspectral imaging (HSI), and radio frequency (RF) to enhance NRO’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance mission. The SCE CSO represents a flexible, industry-aligned acquisition model designed to rapidly integrate commercial technologies such as EO, HSI, radar, RF, and Light Detection and Ranging.

Building on the success of prior SCE efforts, this initiative features a rolling five-year proposal window, enabling the NRO to engage a diverse range of providers—including emerging startups and non-traditional innovators—without fixed deadlines. These partnerships accelerate the delivery of operational capabilities to the NRO and its interagency partners, ensuring resilience and adaptability in a rapidly evolving global landscape.

“These awards underscore the NRO’s commitment to leveraging the best of commercial innovation to stay ahead of emerging challenges,” said Pete Muend, director of the NRO’s Commercial Systems Program Office. “By combining multi-phenomenology data from providers like EarthDaily, ICEYE, and Pixxel, we can deliver more comprehensive, timely insights for national security, environmental monitoring, disaster response, and humanitarian efforts.”

Commercial providers receiving awards include EarthDaily for daily global EO coverage, ICEYE for RF capabilities, and Pixxel for HSI. These selections highlight NRO’s commitment to dismantling traditional barriers and fostering efficient pathways for industry engagement. An alternate acquisition approach to Broad Agency Announcements, CSOs can be used to acquire innovative commercial items, technologies, or services that directly meet NRO requirements. The first NRO CSO contract awards were announced Feb. 10. The CSO complements existing SCE Broad Agency Announcements and does not replace them, instead expanding the NRO’s toolkit for agile acquisitions. Budget permitting, the NRO anticipates additional awards later in 2026 to further diversify its multi-phenomenology portfolio and address evolving mission gaps.

Source: NRO

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The study aims to evaluate, leverage and integrate new and emerging commercial RF data sources, providing critical insights for mission planners and operators worldwide. This comes as part of a broader effort to leverage commercial RF data as a critical layer of information, enhancing decision making and support for mission objectives in complex environments.

SNC’s Vindlér space-based collection service addresses a growing market need for RF data and analysis. Utilizing low-Earth orbit satellites, Vindlér detects and geo-locates certain objects based on targeted RF emissions, delivering valuable data and analysis to its customers. This technology is particularly critical when evaluating operations in contested or denied access areas.

“The expansion of our Vindlér constellation marks a major leap forward in delivering precise, timely intelligence from space by significantly enhancing our ability to collect and process massive volumes of RF data,” said Charlie Howell, vice president of programs at SNC. “We are providing our partners with the critical insights needed for rapid decision making in an increasingly complex global environment.”

The company’s Vindlér 2.0 constellation of three EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) class satellites is scheduled to launch in spring of this year. Building on a more than 60-year heritage of RF, electronic warfare systems and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance solutions, Vindlér can detect a wide range of emitters from VHF to Ku-band with high accuracy. It can be used to track dark vessels, GPS jammers and more in support of national security efforts. The advanced RF solution also features low-latency delivery and multi-modal analytics with twice-daily downlink revisits, ensuring timely and precise data delivery.

Source: SNC

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“The NRO is always looking for innovative ways to bring on new partners,” Dr. Chris Scolese, director of the NRO, said. “The CSO is a flexible contracting mechanism that enables us to bring in new ideas and technologies. This helps ensure we have access to the latest technologies to advance our mission.”

Companies receiving awards include HEO for non-Earth imagery, SatVu for medium wave infrared imagery, and Sierra Nevada Corporation for RF capabilities. These selections highlight NRO’s commitment to dismantling traditional barriers and fostering efficient pathways for industry engagement.

An alternate acquisition approach to Broad Agency Announcements, CSOs can be used to acquire innovative commercial items, technologies, or services that directly meet NRO requirements. NRO released the final request for proposal for this CSO in July 2025, marking a first for NRO Commercial Systems Program Office (CSPO) and introducing an opportunity to reach a broader marketplace that leverages non-traditional providers. The CSO includes a two-stage awards process: the first stage focuses on modeling and simulation, while the second focuses on assessing on-orbit capabilities and growing operational products to support mission needs. Budget permitting, NRO anticipates issuing additional awards later this year to expand these multi-phenomenology capabilities.

“The NRO is using a variety of acquisition processes and contract models to bring in new talent and providers and cut the time from concept to delivery,” CSPO Director Pete Meund said. “We are excited to continue advancing our mission by gaining new commercial capabilities and strengthening ties with commercial providers, while collaborating closely with our mission partners.”

These awards follow prior Strategic Commercial Enhancements efforts, including five commercial EO contracts in December 2023, six hyperspectral imaging contracts in March 2023, six RF contracts in September 2022, and five radar contracts in January 2022.

Source: NRO

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The post NRO makes CSO awards appeared first on Intelligence Community News.

The Falcon 9 first stage booster safely returned to Landing Zone 4 after delivering the national security payload to orbit. This mission is the twelfth overall launch of the NRO’s proliferated architecture and first of approximately a dozen NRO launches scheduled throughout 2026 consisting of proliferated and national security missions.

Having hundreds of NRO satellites on orbit is critical to supporting our nation and its partners. This growing constellation enhances mission resilience and capability through reduced revisit times, improved persistent coverage, and accelerated processing and delivery of critical data.

Through sustained launch activity and accelerated deployment of next-generation systems, NRO fields the most advanced and capable government constellation our nation has ever delivered with hundreds of satellites now on orbit. Additional proliferated launches are planned through 2029, ensuring sustained growth and innovation.

Source: NRO

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Prior to being appointed as the Principal Deputy Director, Adkins served on the professional staff of the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Defense, where he led the subcommittee’s oversight and legislative responsibility for the NRO, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Space Command, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, and U.S. Cyber Command.

From 2006 to 2016, he worked in the private sector as a strategic advisor to aerospace and defense clients on strategy, policy, and business development in the space and defense sector. From 2000 to 2006, he served on the House Science Committee and was appointed staff director for the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee where he led the subcommittee’s legislative and oversight activities of NASA and other agencies involved in civilian space.

From 1997 to 2000, Adkins worked for the Central Intelligence Agency and was assigned to the NRO in the Advanced Systems and Technology Directorate, where he managed several technology development projects. Adkins began his career in 1986 at the Naval Research Laboratory.

Source: NRO

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“The partnership between NRO and SSC continues to strengthen our nation’s space superiority through innovative launch solutions and shared expertise,” said Col. Kathryn Cantu, director, NRO Office of Space Launch, and NROL-77 mission director. “As space becomes increasingly contested, this partnership enables us to rapidly deploy advanced intelligence capabilities while maintaining the agility and resilience needed to address emerging threats. Our collaborative approach ensures America’s continued leadership in space-based national security operations well into the future.”

NROL-77 is the second NRO mission launched with SpaceX from the NSSL Phase 2 contract awarded in August 2020. NSSL, a government launch acquisition partnership program between SSC and NRO aimed at ensuring continued assured access to space for national security missions, is overseen and operated by SSC’s System Delta 80 headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base in California. Earlier this Spring, NRO partnered with SSC to launch NROL-69 and NROL-145 through the NSSL program and NROL-174 through the Rocket Systems Launch Program.

“A collaborative team of dedicated experts from System Delta 80, NRO, and SpaceX validated the flight hardware and integration essentials that assured successful delivery of the mission,” said Col. Ryan M. Hiserote, System Delta 80 commander and NSSL program manager. “And kudos to our SSC SLD-45 teammates who operated the range systems and infrastructure as part of this launch. NROL-77 was our last NSSL mission this calendar year. Together, we look forward to another busy year in 2026.”

Source: NRO

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This mission is the eleventh overall launch of the NRO’s proliferated architecture and fifth proliferated launch of 2025. Having hundreds of NRO satellites on orbit is vital to the nation and partners. This constellation continues to add capability and resilience to the mission through shorter revisit times, increased observational persistence, and faster processing and transmission of data, according to the agency.

Over the past two years, NRO has launched more than 200 satellites, and nine NRO missions have been launched so far in 2025. Additional proliferated launches are planned through 2029.

Source: NRO

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The post NRO launches NROL-48 appeared first on Intelligence Community News.

The newly awarded contract stage will continue to develop the national security potential of multispectral electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) data with global coverage and rapid revisit rates. Muon’s capabilities support persistent situational awareness of global thermal activity. Stage II will include an end-to-end demonstration of Muon Space’s EO/IR capabilities, and continued testing and evaluation by the NRO.

“This follow-on award signals growing confidence in our ability to deliver timely, high-quality data from space – a core requirement for national security and disaster resilience alike,” said Jonny Dyer, CEO of Muon Space. “We are honored to deepen our collaboration with the NRO and to demonstrate how commercial space can play a transformative role in the future of national intelligence and global response.”

Source: Muon Space

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Be advised, an RFI has been released regarding the Solutions for Intelligence Analysis (SIA 3) Small Business On-Ramp on the classified National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and National Security Agency (NSA) ARC sites.  Questions shall be submitted electronically via the classified NRO and/or NSA ARC sites no later than (NLT) 12:00 PM ET on 5 May 2025. Responses to the RFI shall be submitted electronically via the classified NRO and/or NSA ARC sites NLT 12:00 PM ET on 9 May 2025. No email submissions will be accepted.

The Virginia Contracting Activity (VaCA) intends to initiate a Small Business On Ramp for the Solutions for Intelligence Analysis (SIA) 3 Indefinite Deliver Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle during Fiscal Year (FY) 25 Quarter (Q)1.

SIA 3 is a non-personal services contract for Intelligence Analytical Support to DIA and the Defense Intelligence Enterprise (DIE). Services are required both CONUS and OCONUS. In some cases, OCONUS services will subject personnel to harsh and hostile conditions in environments designated by the U.S. Government as Imminent Danger and/or Hostile Fire Zones.

The SIA 3 Period of Performance (PoP) began on 5 August 2019 with a five (5) year base ordering period and five (5) optional one (1) year ordering periods. Supporting task orders may have up to a one (1) year base period and up to four (4) one (1) year option periods.

As a classified solicitation, all subsequent information about the SIA 3 On Ramp will be released through the classified side of the National Reconnaissance Office’s Acquisition Research Center (NRO ARC).

Review the SIA 3 on-ramp information.

Source: SAM

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