123

WALLOPS
NRO Mission

For sixty years, the NRO has developed, acquired, launched and 

operated the satellites that are the foundation for America’s 

advantage and strength in space. Using a diversified and resilient 

architecture of spacecraft, NRO collects and delivers the best 

space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance 

content on the planet. NRO data supports the National Security 

Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and other NRO 

mission partners to produce intelligence products for the president, 

Congress, national policymakers, warfighters, and civil users. The 

NRO’s hybrid overhead architecture is designed to provide global 

coverage against a wide range of intelligence requirements, carry 

out research and development efforts, and assist emergency and 

disaster-relief efforts in the U.S. and around the world.

photos courtesy of

Rocket Lab and NRO
NROL-123 LAUNCH PRESS KIT | 1

123 WALLOPS WALLOPS

NROL 123

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is 

proud to support its third dedicated launch out 

of NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, in 

partnership with Rocket Lab, NASA Wallops, 

and Virginia Spaceport Authority.

NROL-123 will carry three collaborative 

research missions on a Rocket Lab Electron 

rocket acquired through NRO’s Rapid 

Acquisition of a Small Rocket (RASR) contract.

The dragonfly symbolizes energy, youthful 

exuberance, and accomplishment—representing 

the use of new technology. The position of it flying 

through the hexagon symbolizes a new frontier, 

new opportunity, and new perspective. The forward 

movement represents the critical path of the 

mission.

The bees are based on the idea of “small but 

impactful” and represent the tremendous impact the 

program experiments will have on the NRO mission.

The sunfish, or mola, nods toward the program.

To read more about NRO launches and previous 

patches, visit www.NRO.gov
123 WALLOPS

2 | NROL-123 LAUNCH PRESS KIT

Rocket & Launch Facts

Electron is a two-stage to orbit rocket designed and 

manufactured by Rocket Lab for dedicated access 

to space of small satellites. 

Rutherford Engine(s)

The world’s first 3D-printed, electric-pump-fed 

rocket engine.

First Stage

- 9 Sea-level Rutherford Engines

-Lift-off Thrust: 190 kN (43,000 lbf)

- Peak Thrust: 224 kN (56,000 lbf)

- ISP: 311 seconds

Interstage

Pneumatic Pusher 

Second Stage

- Single Vacuum Rutherford Engine

- Total Thrust: 25.8 kN (5,800 lbf)

- ISP: 343 seconds

Kick Stage

Electron’s unique Kick Stage is designed to deliver small 

satellites to precise and unique orbits, whether flying as 

dedicated or rideshare.

- Deployment of payloads at multiple planes/inclinations

- Higher altitude deployment

- Hosted payload support

- Multiple trajectory changes

- Sustained low altitude orbits

- Deorbiting payloads to eliminate space debris

FAIRING

PAYLOAD

PLATE

KICK STAGE

SECOND 

STAGE

INTERSTAGE

FIRST STAGE

POWER PACK

9X RUTHERFORD 

SEA LEVEL ENGINES

RUTHERFORD 

VACUUM ENGINE
3

Site Info

Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) 

NROL-123 will launch from the MARS Pad 0C, also known as Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2. The launch 

complex is co-located on the NASA Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. In 1997, the Virginia 

Commercial Space Flight Authority entered into a Reimbursable Space Act Agreement with NASA, which 

provided for permitted use of land on NASA Wallops Island for the MARS launch pads. Virginia Space Authority 

also applied for and was granted an FAA license to launch to orbit. This led to the establishment of the Virginia 

Space Authority Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, located on the southern portion of NASA Wallops Island. The 

Virginia Spaceport Authority, a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia, owns and operates MARS. 

NASA Wallops partners with Virginia Spaceport Authority to provide various support services to MARS launches. 

For more information: www.vaspace.org

NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility 

The NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s Wallops Flight Facility, established in 1945, is the agency’s premier 

location for conducting research using suborbital vehicles—aircraft, scientific balloons and sounding rockets. 

Its partnership with the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport expands the facility’s 

capabilities to include the launch of orbital vehicles. For more information: www.nasa.gov/wallops/
4 | NROL-123 LAUNCH PRESS KIT

123 WALLOPS

Recent Success

The NRO is the best in the world at providing 

overhead intelligence, surveillance, and 

reconnaissance to more than half a million 

government users —including every member of 

the Intelligence Community, two dozen domestic 

agencies, our nation’s military, lawmakers, and 

decision makers.

In September 2023, NRO launched the NROL-107 

Silentbarker mission, a joint NRO and U.S. Space 

Force (USSF) Space Domain Awareness (SDA) 

mission to meet Department of Defense and 

Intelligence Community space protection needs.

Visit www.NRO.gov to view 

launch press releases.

NROL-107, Sep 10, 2023
5

Future Launches

Additional information on upcoming launches will be 

made available at www.NRO.gov.

WWW.NRO.GOV

MEDIA@NRO.MIL

703.808.1198

 @NATIONALRECONNAISSANCEOFFICE

@NATRECONOFC

@NATRECONOFC 

FOLLOW ON TWITTER FOR LIVE UPDATES 

ON LAUNCH DAY

NATIONALRECONNAISSANCEOFFICE
NRO/OPA [10250] ID 3.24