SpaceX launches classified USSF-259 mission after one-day scrub
A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg on Sept. 16 carrying a classified payload for the U.S. Space Force, after a Tuesday attempt was scrubbed before fueling. The mission, designated USSF-259, is the third NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 launch for the Space Systems Command. The booster B1097 landed on a droneship about 8.5 minutes after liftoff.
The Falcon 9 took flight from SLC-4E at 6:07:56 p.m. PDT on Sept. 16, after a Tuesday attempt was halted before fueling. The vehicle followed a southerly route, targeting a low Earth orbit with an inclination near 80 degrees.
This was the third NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 mission for the Space Systems Command in a month, joining USSF-366 and USSF-153. The first stage, B1097, flew its 13th mission, having previously supported NROL-172, Twilight, Transporter-17, Sentinel-6B, and eight Starlink batches. It touched down on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You, marking the 224th landing on that vessel and the 661st Falcon booster recovery overall.
The rapid succession of classified launches under the NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 contract highlights the military's deepening reliance on commercial launch providers. This cadence could normalize a faster, more responsive approach to national security space access, potentially accelerating the deployment of new capabilities. However, the classified nature of these payloads limits public oversight, which may raise transparency concerns, while also signaling a robust industrial base that could benefit broader space infrastructure and employment.