The U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center successfully completed the Flight Readiness Review and remains on track to launch the National Reconnaissance Office Launch (NROL)-111 mission on June 15, 2021 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) Pad 0B at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. This mission is managed by SMC Launch Enterprise’s Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP) and was awarded under the Orbital/Suborbital Program (OSP)-3 Lane 1 capability.

“We look forward to the launch of NROL-111 for our NRO customer,” stated Lt. Col. Ryan Rose, chief of SMC’s Launch Enterprise Small Launch and Targets Division. “This will be our third U.S. Space Force mission and the second Minotaur NRO mission from Wallops. As the U.S. Space Force looks to the future of the nation’s defense, small launch missions will continue to serve as pathfinders to build up the industrial base in support of the DoD’s needs. We look forward to continuing to launch national priority satellites for our NRO partner.”

Rose is responsible for the launch service which includes range support, launch vehicle integration, space vehicle interface and mating, and the launch service for this important mission.

The U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center, located at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California, is the U.S. Space Force’s center of excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. SMC’s portfolio includes space launch, global positioning systems, military satellite communications, a defense meteorological satellite control network, range systems, space-based infrared systems, and space domain awareness capabilities.