Question 1

What rocket is launching NROL-111?

Accepted Answer

NROL-111 is launching on the Minotaur I.

Question 2

Who is launching NROL-111?

Accepted Answer

NROL-111 is being launched by Northrop Grumman Space Systems, a commercial launch provider founded in 2015.

Question 3

Where is NROL-111 launching from?

Accepted Answer

NROL-111 is launching from Launch Area 0 B at Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is NROL-111 heading to?

Accepted Answer

NROL-111 is heading to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Question 5

Is the Minotaur I reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Minotaur I is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Minotaur I flown?

Accepted Answer

The Minotaur I has launched 12 times to date, with 12 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the NROL-111 mission?

Accepted Answer

Classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.

Question 8

Where is NASA's Wallops Flight Facility?

Accepted Answer

Wallops Flight Facility is NASA's own launch range on Virginia's Eastern Shore, operating since 1945 and managed through Goddard Space Flight Center. It also hosts the commercial Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS).

Question 9

What launches from Wallops?

Accepted Answer

Wallops flies NASA's long-running sounding-rocket programme alongside orbital launches: Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo missions to the ISS on the Antares rocket from Pad 0A, Minotaur vehicles from Pad 0B, and Rocket Lab's Electron from Launch Complex 2.

Question 10

Can you watch a launch from Wallops?

Accepted Answer

The NASA Wallops Visitor Center is the designated public viewing area and posts information for each flight. Nearby Chincoteague and the Assateague seashore also give open-horizon views across the water.

Question 11

What was the first orbital launch from Wallops?

Accepted Answer

The first orbital launch from Wallops was TacSat-2, on an Orbital Sciences Minotaur in December 2006. Wallops later launched LADEE, the first deep-space mission to fly from Virginia, in 2013.

NROL-111

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Launch Area 0 B

Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

Frequently asked questions