What is there in sending several satellites into space at once that still interests intelligence agencies, which prefer to work with larger craft? Well, it could be seen in the case of NRO, where the launch cadence and constellations became just as important to their operations as satellites themselves.
For example, the last launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base involved a Falcon 9 rocket launching another satellite for NRO, marking the 13th mission in support of the NRO’s “proliferated architecture”. As stated by the NRO itself, a proliferated architecture is a satellite-based reconnaissance system comprising numerous spacecraft operating in different orbits. As such, this approach enables achieving better capabilities sooner due to greater resilience against challenges associated with the space domain.
However, it also makes much sense regarding why any additional information regarding these launches ceases as soon as the spacecraft separates from the booster. Namely, it is impossible to know for sure how many satellites are on board, what their orbital parameters are, and what particular functions they perform once they reach orbit. Also, any live broadcast from SpaceX ends well before this point, leaving little information regarding the payload phase of the flight. Yet, despite the lack of additional data, one cannot ignore the logistical component of these launches, including the rapid cadence of operations involving California-based launches and reusable boosters.
As already mentioned, proliferated constellations make perfect sense for the National Reconnaissance Office. NRO director Chris Scolese said that “having hundreds of small satellites on orbit” is “invaluable” for its work due to improved revisit rates, larger areas of coverage, and the speed with which gathered information is delivered to the ground station. As such, some advantages of such a constellation become clear, namely increased number of passes, broader areas covered, and reduced risks associated with deploying fewer satellites for the same purpose.
However, there is also another factor responsible for the success of the described strategy. Namely, Falcon 9 can deliver satellites into the required orbit from California while being reusable and capable of maintaining a high cadence of flights. That being said, some components of this constellation were speculated to be similar to government Starlinks, though this was never confirmed by NRO. The fact that NROL launches will continue until 2029 and that NRO will keep developing the largest constellation owned by the government is confirmed by the agency.
That extended period, however, should not be underestimated either, even without considering other developments. In fact, this process becomes industrialized and focuses not on occasional launches of classified satellites but rather regular launches to maintain a constant flow of missions. Launch vehicles used for carrying satellites into orbit became a common Falcon 9; however, the strategy remains the development of space above through frequent launches of satellites.