The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is proud to partner with SpaceX on our second launch aboard a Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The NROL-108 mission will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida, and carry a national security payload designed, built and operated by the agency. NROL-108 supports NRO’s overall national security mission to provide intelligence data to the United States’ senior policy makers, the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense.

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is an Intelligence Community element and Department of Defense organization responsible for developing, acquiring, launching and operating America’s reconnaissance satellites, as well as operating associated data processing facilities in support of national security. Using NRO data, the National Security Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and other NRO mission partners produce intelligence products for the President, Congress, national policy makers, warfighters, and civil users. The NRO uses a variety of satellites to meet these mission needs—from small sats to more traditional, larger satellites. This approach allows the NRO to pursue a hybrid overhead architecture designed to provide global coverage against a wide range of intelligence requirements, carry out research and development efforts, and assist emergency and disaster relief efforts in the U.S. and around the world.

About the NROL-108 mission patch from the NRO press release:

The NROL-108 mission patch shows a gorilla beating its chest in front of a green background with the tagline “Peace Through Strength”. The NRO chose this theme because gorillas are peaceful animals but can be fierce when necessary. Like the gorilla, this mission is constantly vigilant and ready to defend its own, demonstrating NRO’s commitment to protecting U.S. warfighters, interests, and allies.