--- title: "The US Space Force Is Launching Four Top Secret Spy Satellites" description: "The newly-formed US Space Force is about to launch four reconnaissance satellites into orbit on behalf of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)." date: "2020-07-14" modified: "2020-07-14" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/us-space-force-four-top-secret-spy-satellites" categories: - "Space" - "Space Force" tags: - "air force" - "national reconnaissance office" - "space force" - "the digest" --- # The US Space Force Is Launching Four Top Secret Spy Satellites ![The newly-formed US Space Force is about to launch four reconnaissance satellites into orbit on behalf of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).]() *\Image: National Reconnaissance Office\* ## Top Secret The newly-formed [US Space Force]() is [about to launch]() four reconnaissance satellites into orbit on behalf of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The [new military branch]() is launching its top secret payload on board a Minotaur IV rocket built by US defense tech company Northrop Grumman — the first time a rocket in its line has flown since 2013. The exact launch time is classified — but we do know it will launch from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Thursday. It's the Space Force's first launch from the facility since its establishment in December, according to a [mission brief](). ## Intelligence Data We know next to nothing about the nature of the payload. The mission brief is almost comically vague. "NROL-129 supports NRO’s overall national security mission to provide intelligence data to United States’ senior policy makers, the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense," it reads. It also says the NRO's satellites are meant to "provide global coverage against a wide range of intelligence requirements," as well as assisting during emergencies and disaster relief efforts. A live cast of the launch will be made available courtesy of NASA. **READ MORE:** [The Space Force will launch 4 secret satellites from Virginia Wednesday and you can watch it live]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on Space Force:** *[Oops: Netflix Trademarked “Space Force” Before the US Military]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()