SpaceX launches secret US spy satellite on 19th anniversary of company's 1st-ever liftoff (photos)

SpaceX在公司首次升空19周年之际秘密发射美国间谍卫星（组图）

SpaceX launched its third mission of the year for the United States' spy satellite agency today (March 24), the 19th anniversary of the company's first-ever liftoff.

SpaceX于今日（3月24日）为美国间谍卫星机构发射了本年度的第三次任务，恰逢该公司历史上首次火箭升空19周年纪念日。

A Falcon 9 rocket rose off a pad at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station today at 1:48 p.m. EDT (1748 GMT) on the NROL-69 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).

美国东部时间（格林威治标准时间17：48），猎鹰9号火箭从佛罗里达州卡纳维尔拉角太空军基地发射台升空，执行国家侦察局(NRO)的NROL-69侦察卫星部署任务。

It was 19 years to the day after SpaceX's first launch, which sent a Falcon 1 rocket skyward from Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacific. That mission failed, as did the next two Falcon 1 flights. The rocket bounced back, acing its fourth and fifth missions in September 2008 and July 2009, respectively, before being retired in favor of the Falcon 9., which debuted in June 2010.

此次发射恰逢Space X首次发射19周年纪念——2003年那枚从南太平洋夸贾林环礁升空的猎鹰1号火箭及其后续两次发射均告失败。该型火箭最终在2008年9月和2009年7月分别完成了第四次和第五次任务后功成身退，由2010年6月正式登场的猎鹰9号接棒航天使命。

It's unclear what NROL-69 is sending up. The NRO provided no information beyond a brief description of the mission's emblem, which shows an origami-style hummingbird hovering in front of a distant wetland, along with the words "Numquan hibernare."

NROL-69任务的具体载荷仍属机密。国家侦察局仅透露了任务徽章设计：一只折纸风格的蜂鸟在远处的湿地前盘旋，徽章上还篆刻着拉丁文并“Numquan hibernare”（意为“永不冬眠”）。

"The Hummingbird illustrates the speed and agility with which we provide an advantage to the nation and its allies," the NRO's mission description reads. "'Numquan hibernare' is Latin for 'Never hibernate.' Our bird is ever vigilant."

NRO在任务声明中阐释：“蜂鸟象征着我们为国家及其盟国创造战略优势的迅捷灵动。”‘Numquan hibernare’（永不冬眠）的拉丁铭训昭示着——这只守护之鸟永不阖眼。”

We also don't know what orbit NROL-69 is targeting. SpaceX didn't provide that information, and the company cut off its webcast at the NRO's request about nine minutes after launch, following the Falcon 9 first stage's successful touchdown back at Cape Canaveral.

NROL-69任务的目标轨道同样成谜。SpaceX未予披露相关信息，且在猎鹰9号一级火箭成功返航着陆卡纳维拉尔角后，应国家侦察局要求于发射后约9分钟中断了直播信号。

It was the second liftoff and landing for this particular booster, according to SpaceX's mission description.

根据SpaceX的任务资料披露，该枚助推器此次完成了第二次起飞和着陆。

Related: SpaceX launches 7th batch of next-gen spy satellites for US government (video, photos)

延伸阅读：SpaceX成功为美国政府部署第七批新一代间谍卫星（视频、现场图集）

SpaceX has launched two other NRO missions so far in 2025 — NROL-153 in January and NROL-57 this past Friday (March 21). The company set a new rocket reuse record on NROL-57, flying the same Falcon 9 first stage for the second time in just nine days.

SpaceX在2025年已累计执行三次国家侦察局专项任务任务：1除本次发射外，年初1月的NROL-153与上周五（3月21日）的NROL-57任务均告成功。特别值得关注的是，NROL-57任务中猎鹰9号一级火箭创下9天双飞的复用纪录——该枚助推器于3月12日完成SES-18/19通信卫星发射后，经过史上最短周转期再度升空执行机密任务。

Both NROL-153 and NROL-57 were dedicated to building out the NRO's "proliferated architecture," a large constellation of relatively small, cost-effective satellites that's designed to increase resilience, capability and responsiveness, according to the agency. That strategy is something of a departure for the NRO, which has historically relied on a small number of highly capable but expensive satellites.

国家侦察局披露称，NROL-153和NROL-57均服务于构建新型“分布式星座体系”。该体系由大量小型化、高性价比卫星组成，通过借鉴Space X星链旨模式的成功经验，重点强化在轨资产生存能力与战术响应速度。此举标志着NRO从过去依赖少量高性能但昂贵的卫星的转变。

The proliferated architecture spacecraft are thought to be modified versions of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites, which the company produces in bulk.

这种新型结构的航天器被认为是SpaceX公司批量生产的Starlink互联网卫星的进阶版。