The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on Feb. 2 launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., the NROL-87 reconnaissance mission--the first launch of the year for NRO and the first aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 reusable rocket under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, NRO said on Feb. 2. The agency said that the Feb. 2 mission was the 60th launch since NRO began disclosing such launches in December 1996. "NROL-87 is the NRO’s first launch this year and follows…
