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SpaceX set a new company record on October 1, 2026: it landed four Falcon boosters in a single day across three Falcon launches. The late-night Falcon Heavy flight carrying the National Reconnaissance Office’s classified NROL-97 mission supplied the final two landings—but Falcon Heavy recovered only its side boosters, not its center core.
What happened on the NROL-97 launch?
Falcon Heavy lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 11:54 p.m. EDT on Thursday, October 1, 2026, carrying NROL-97 for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). That was 03:54 UTC on October 2. SpaceX’s mission listing displays 03:53 GMT, one minute earlier than Spaceflight Now’s reported actual liftoff time; the local Florida time is the clearest event timestamp. SpaceX’s NROL-97 mission listing identifies Falcon Heavy and Launch Complex 39A, while Spaceflight Now’s October 1 report gives the reported liftoff time and mission details.
NROL-97 was the NRO’s first payload to fly on Falcon Heavy. Before this mission, the agency had flown 22 missions on Falcon 9, according to Spaceflight Now. It was also the first NRO mission procured through the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 2 contract awarded in 2025. Public sources do not disclose the contract’s value or the payload’s composition, destination, or capabilities.
What record did SpaceX set?
The record was four orbital-class booster landings in one day, a first for SpaceX. It was a tally across three Falcon launches—not four landings from NROL-97 or one rocket returning four stages. The day’s sequence was:
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Spaceflight Now describes NROL-97 as SpaceX’s third Falcon launch of the day. NASA’s Crew-13 release independently confirms that mission’s launch time and pad.
Did Falcon Heavy land all its boosters?
No. Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters landed at Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Its center core, B1106, was expended. That is why the NROL-97 launch contributed two landings—not three—to SpaceX’s daily record.
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Spaceflight Now reported that side booster B1104 was making its second flight and B1072 its fourth; both had flown about a month earlier on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope mission. The payload fairing had previously flown on NROL-95. Spaceflight Now also reports that Falcon Heavy uses 27 Merlin 1D engines.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about the spy satellite?
The launch carried NROL-97, a classified NRO mission. The public sources cited here do not establish what satellite or payload type flew, its destination, or its capabilities. The NRO customer and Falcon Heavy launch do not, by themselves, identify those details.
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