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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 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.

NROL-82

ULA Delta IV Heavy
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The NROL-91 Logo was designed to pay tribute to those 

brave individuals who sacrificed and laid it all on the 

line in the fight to preserve our freedom. In particular, it 

honors the heroism of our diminishing group of World War 

II Veterans. 

The American officer is modeled after Gen. Anthony C. 

McAuliffe, who was aptly referred to as Gen. “Nuts” 

McAuliffe. Gen. McAuliffe was later awarded the 

Distinguished Service Cross by Gen. Patton for his actions 

at Bastogne. The combined NROL-91 team embrace the 

indefatigable “no surrender” attitude of the Battered 

Bastards of Bastogne and honor their selfless sacrifice 

and lost comrades who gave all in the defense of our 

freedom. 

Another major design feature within the logo is an image 

of a Bailey Bridge with tanks rolling over it. The Bailey 

Bridge was first used in WWII and directly contributed 

to many of Allied successes due to its portability and 

strength, proving strong enough to carry tanks. The 

NROL-91 logo includes the image of the Bailey Bridge 

to symbolize the ability to overcome and adapt at a 

moment’s notice in the presence of adversity. There is 

also a bird of prey in the background across the US flag, 

known for their strength, endurance, and protective 

nature; many traits inherent in our American Warfighters. 

Along with the standard mission number, launch base, 

and booster type, the words “Dedicated to the Great Task 

Remaining...” are emblazoned around the seal. This short 

phrase derives from President Abraham Lincoln’s famous 

Gettysburg Address, in which he called upon his fellow 

citizens to take up the great cause for liberty initially 

put forward by our Forefathers in 1776. We dedicate this 

mission to protecting our Warfighters deployed in harm’s 

way and to the furtherance of that noble cause. 

To read more about NRO launches and previous patches, visit 

www.NRO.gov/launch

NROL-91

The National Reconnaissance 

Office is scheduled to launch 

the NROL-91 mission aboard a 

United Launch Alliance (ULA) 

Delta IV Heavy rocket from 

Vandenberg Space Force Base, 

California. Carrying a national 

security payload designed, built 

and operated by NRO, NROL-91 

supports the overall national 

security mission to provide 

intelligence data to the United 

States’ senior policy makers, 

the Intelligence Community and 

Department of Defense. NROL-91 

is NRO’s fifth launch of 2022, and 

is part of more than a half-dozen 

planned launches for the year.
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Rocket & Launch Facts

Payload Fairing (PLF)

The PLF encapsulates the spacecraft to protect it from 

the launch environment on ascent. The 19.2-m (63-ft) 

long PLF makes the vehicle’s height approximately 

71.0 m (233 ft).

Delta Cryogenic Second Stage (DCSS)

The DCSS is a cryogenic liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen 

fueled vehicle, with a single RL10C-2-1 engine that 

produces 110.1 kilo-Newtons (24,750 lbs) of thrust.

Boosters

The Delta IV booster propulsion is provided by three liquid 

hydrogen and liquid oxygen-burning RS-68A engines. 

Each RS-68A engine produces 312.3 kilo-Newtons 

(705,250 lbs) of thrust for a combined total liftoff thrust 

of more than 2.1 million pounds. 

5-m PAYLOAD 

FAIRING

PAYLOAD

ATTACH FITTING

SPACECRAFT

DELTA CRYOGENIC 

SECOND STAGE

INTERSTAGE

BOOSTERS

RS-68A 

ENGINES

RL10C-2-1 ENGINE

United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV Heavy is a heavy-lift 

launch vehicle, the largest type of the Delta IV family and 

one of the world’s most powerful rockets. The Delta IV 

Heavy configuration is comprised of a common booster 

core (CBC), a cryogenic upper stage and a 5-meterdiameter payload fairing (PLF). The Delta IV Heavy 

employs two additional CBCs as liquid rocket boosters 

to augment the first-stage CBC. The Delta IV Heavy can 

lift 28,370 kg (62,540 lbs) to low Earth orbit and 13,810 

kg (30,440 lbs) to geostationary transfer orbit. It is an 

all liquid-fueled rocket, consisting of an upper stage, one 

main booster and two strap-on boosters.
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Site Info

Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6)

NROL-91 will launch from Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The 

first launch from SLC-6 was on an Athena I rocket in August 1995. In 2000, United Launch Alliance took over 

SLC-6 and re-fitted it to serve as the west coast home for the Delta IV launch vehicle family with modifications 

to the Assembly Building, Mobile Service Tower, Launch Tower, and other support structures. 

VANDENBERG’s FINAL DELTA IV HEAVY

NROL-91 is the NRO’s 15th Delta IV launch and the final launch of ULA’s 

heavy variant from Vandenberg Space Force Base. NROL-91 will be the 

ninth Delta IV from VSFB, and the fifth and final heavy variant from VSFB. 

Previous Delta IV Heavy launches:

NROL-49

1.20.2011

NROL-65

8.28.2013

NROL-71

1.19.2019

NROL-82

4.26.2021
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Recent Success

The NRO is the best in the world at providing overhead intelligence, 

surveillance, and reconnaissance to more than 

a half-million government users —including every member of the 

Intelligence Community, two dozen domestic agencies, our nation’s 

military, lawmakers, and decision makers.

NROL-91 is the fifth NRO launch of 2022. NRO has previously launched 

from VSFB twice this year. The NROL-87 mission was launched on 

Feb 2 on a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket and the booster from NROL-87 

was launched again just two months later for the NROL-85 mission on 

April 17. NRO recently launched two missions within a month 

from Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand. The NROL-162 mission was 

launched July 13 on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket followed by NROL-199 

on Aug 4 also on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket.

Visit www.NRO.gov to view 

launch press releases.

NROL-199 Aug. 4, 2022.

Courtesy Rocket Lab
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Future Launches

NRO has a busy launch year for 2022 with more than a 

half-dozen dozen payloads scheduled for orbit. NRO is 

partnering with the UK Ministry of Defence to launch the 

Prometheus-2 mission on a Virgin Orbit LauncherOne 

rocket later this year. 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 [10158] ID 8.22