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This is a list of NRO Launch (NROL) designations for satellites operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Those missions are generally classified, so that their exact purposes and orbital elements are not published. However, amateur astronomers have managed to observe most of the satellites, and leaked information has led to the identification of many of the payloads.
| Launch designation | Payload nickname | Satellite designation | Date/time, UTC | Launch site | Rocket | Orbit | Project | Function | Status | Patch | Remarks |
| L-1 | Nemesis | USA-179 | 31 August 2004 23:17 | CCAFS, SLC-36A | Atlas IIAS | 39,053 × 1,316 km × 63 ° (Molniya) | Quasar 15 | Communications | Entered service, status unknown | | |
| L-2 | USA-129 | 20 December 1996 18:04 | VAFB, SLC-4E | Titan IV | LEO | KH-11 12 | Optical imaging | Deorbited | Reentered on 1 May 2014. | ||
| L-3 | USA-133 | 24 October 1997 02:32 | VAFB, SLC-4E | Titan IV | 679 × 666 km × 57° (LEO) | Lacrosse 3 | Synthetic-aperture radar | Deorbited | |||
| L-4 | Oscar | USA-136 | 8 November 1997 02:05 | CCAFS, SLC-41 | Titan IV/Centaur | 36,523 × 3,849 km × 63 ° (Molniya) | Trumpet 3 | ELINT | Entered service, status unknown | | |
| L-5 | Capricorn | USA-137 | 29 January 1998 18:37 | CCAFS, SLC-36A | Atlas IIA | Molniya | Quasar 12 | Communications | Entered service, status unknown | | |
| L-6 | Jack | USA-139 | 9 May 1998 01:38 | CCAFS, SLC-40 | Titan IV/Centaur | 35,945 × 35,642 km × 8 ° (GSO) | Orion 4 | SIGINT | Entered service, presumed active | | |
| L-7 | Elwood | N/A | 12 August 1998 11:30 | CCAFS, SLC-41 | Titan IV/Centaur | GSO (planned) | Mercury | ELINT | Destroyed | "Cheers! Saving the Best for Last!!" | Rocket self-destructed 40 seconds into launch due to guidance problem. |
| L-8 | USA-140, USA-141 | 3 October 1998 10:04 | VAFB, LC-576E | Taurus 1110 | LEO | STEX | Technology | Entered service, status unknown | | ATEX experiment jettisoned on 16 January 1999 and catalogued as USA-141. | |
| L-9 | USA-144 | 22 May 1999 09:36 | VAFB, SLC-4E | Titan IVB | Misty | Optical imaging | Entered service, status unknown | | First Titan IV-B launch from VAFB. | ||
| L-10 | Ursa Major (Great Bear) | USA-155 | 6 December 2000 02:47 | CCAFS, SLC-36A | Atlas IIAS | 35,854 × 35,732 km × 9 ° (GSO) | Quasar 13 | Communications | Entered service, presumed active | | |
| L-11 | Onyx / Vega | USA-152 | 17 August 2000 23:45 | VAFB, SLC-4E | Titan IVB | 695 × 689 km × 68° (LEO) | Lacrosse 4 | SAR | Deorbited | | |
| L-12 | Aquila | USA-162 | 11 October 2001 02:32 | CCAFS, SLC-36B | Atlas IIAS | 35,803 × 35,785 km × 10 ° (GSO) | Quasar 14 | Communications | Entered service, presumed active | | |
| L-13 | Gemini | USA-160 | 8 September 2001 15:25 | VAFB, SLC-3E | Atlas IIAS | 1,486 × 740 km × 63 ° (LEO) | Intruder 5A & 5B | Naval reconnaissance | Entered service, status unknown | | Two satellites. |
| L-14 | USA-161 | 5 October 2001 21:21 | VAFB, SLC-4E | Titan IVB | LEO | KH-11 13 | Optical reconnaissance | Deorbited | | Reentered in November 2014. | |
| L-15 | USA-237 | 29 June 2012 13:15 | CCAFS, SLC-37B | Delta IV Heavy (first RS-68A upgrade) | 35,960 × 35,628 km × 2 ° (GSO) | Orion 8 | SIGINT | Entered service, presumed active | | ||
| L-16 | Prometheus | USA-182 | 30 April 2005 00:50 | CCAFS, SLC-40 | Titan IVB | 728 × 725 km × 57 ° (LEO) | Lacrosse 5 | SAR | Deorbited | | |
| L-17 | GeoLITE | USA-158 | 18 May 2001 17:45 | CCAFS, SLC-17B | Delta II 7925-9 | GSO | GeoLITE | Technology demonstration | Retired | | Boosted to graveyard orbit after end of mission. Testbed for experimental laser and UHF communications payloads. |
| L-18 | Libra | USA-173 | 2 December 2003 10:04 | VAFB, SLC-3E | Atlas IIAS | 1,435 × 786 km × 63 ° (LEO) | Intruder 6A & B | Naval reconnaissance | Entered service, status unknown | | Two satellites. |
| L-19 | Homer | USA-171 | 9 September 2003 04:29 | CCAFS, SLC-40 | Titan IVB-Centaur | 35,995 × 35,592 km × 11 ° (GSO) | Orion 5 | SIGINT | Entered service, presumed active | | |
| L-20 | USA-186 | 19 October 2005 18:05 | VAFB, SLC-4E | Titan IVB | 473 × 268 km × 96 ° (LEO) | KH-11 14 | Optical imaging | Entered service, presumed active | | Last launch of a Titan rocket. | |
| L-21 | USA-193 | 14 December 2006 21:00 | VAFB, SLC-2W | Delta II 7920-10 | LEO | Unknown | Unknown | Destroyed | | Failed on orbit immediately after launch. Destroyed by ASAT on 21 February 2008. | |
| L-22 | USA-184 | 28 June 2006 03:33 | VAFB, SLC-6 | Delta IV M+(4,2) | 38,628 × 1,740 km × 63° (Molniya) | Improved Trumpet 4 | ELINT | Entered service, status unknown | | ||
| L-23 | Canis Minor | USA-181 | 3 February 2005 07:41 | CCAFS, SLC-36B | Atlas IIIB | 1,404 × 822 km × 63 ° (LEO) | Intruder 7A & 7B | Naval reconnaissance | Entered service, status unknown | | Two satellites. |
| L-24 | Scorpius | USA-198 | 10 December 2007 22:05 | CCAFS, SLC-41 | Atlas V 401 | 39,899 × 461 km × 63 ° (Molniya) | Quasar 16 | Communications | Entered service, presumed active | | |
| L-25 | Altair | USA-234 | 3 April 2012 23:12 | VAFB, SLC-6 | Delta IV M+ (5,2) | 1,112 × 1,109 km × 123° (Retrograde LEO) | Topaz 2 | Radar imaging | Entered service, presumed active | | |
| L-26 | USA-202 | 18 January 2009 02:47 | CCAFS, SLC-37B | Delta IV Heavy | 35,814 × 35,774 km × 6 ° (GSO) | Orion 6 | SIGINT | Entered service, presumed active | | ||
| L-27 | Gryphon | USA-227 | 11 March 2011 23:38 | CCAFS, SLC-37B | Delta IV M+(4,2) | 35,810 × 35,778 km × 4 ° (GSO) | Quasar 17 | Communications | Entered service, presumed active | | |
| L-28 | USA-200 | 13 March 2008 10:02 | VAFB, SLC-3E | Atlas V 411 | 38,009 × 2,362 km × 63 ° (Molniya) | Improved Trumpet 5 | ELINT | Entered service, status unknown | | ||
| L-29 | N/A | VAFB, SLC-3E | Atlas V 521 | Canceled | |||||||
| L-30 | Pyxis | USA-194 | 15 June 2007 15:12 | CCAFS, SLC-41 | Atlas V 401 | 1,347 × 879 km × 63 ° (LEO) | Intruder 8A & 8B | Naval reconnaissance | Entered service, presumed active | | Two satellites. Premature 2nd stage cutoff during launch. Lifetime reduced by need to correct orbit. |
| L-32 | USA-223 | 21 November 2010 22:58 | CCAFS, SLC-37B | Delta IV Heavy | 35,979 × 35,609 km × 4 ° (GSO) | Orion 7 | SIGINT | Entered service, presumed active | | ||
| L-33 | USA-252 | 22 May 2014 13:09 | CCAFS, SLC-41 | Atlas V 401 | 35,810 × 35,778 km × 2 ° (GSO) | Quasar 19 | Communications | Entered service, presumed active | | ||
| L-34 | Odin | USA-229 | 15 April 2011 04:24 | VAFB, SLC-3E | Atlas V 411 | 1,261 × 965 km × 63 ° (LEO) | Intruder 9A & 9B | Naval reconnaissance | Entered service, presumed active | | Two satellites. |
| L-35 | Jacquelyn | USA-259 | 13 December 2014 03:19 | VAFB, SLC-3E | Atlas V 541 | 39,083 × 1,286 km × 63 ° (Molniya) | Trumpet 6 (third generation) | ELINT | Entered service, presumed active | | First flight of the RL10C-1 rocket engine, used by the Centaur upper stage |
| L-36 | USA-238 | 13 September 2012 21:39 | VAFB, SLC-3E | Atlas V 401 | 1,225 × 1,001 km × 63 ° (LEO) | Intruder 10A & 10B | Naval reconnaissance | Entered service, presumed active | | Two satellites sharing a designation. | |
| L-37 | USA-268 | 11 June 2016 17:51 | CCAFS, SLC-37B | Delta IV Heavy | 35,993 × 35,594 km × 6 ° (GSO) | Orion 9 | SIGINT | Entered service, presumed active | | Likely the seventh so called Mentor/Orion satellite for the National Security Agency. | |
| L-38 | Drake | USA-236 | 20 June 2012 12:28 | CCAFS, SLC-41 | Atlas V 401 | 35,815 × 35,773 km × 3 ° (GSO) | Quasar 18 | Communications | Entered service, presumed active | | |
| L-39 | USA-247 | 6 December 2013 07:14 | VAFB, SLC-3E | Atlas V 501 | 1,113 × 1,109 km × 123° (Retrograde LEO) | Topaz 3 | Radar imaging | Entered service, presumed active | | ||
| L-41 | Gladys | USA-215 | 21 September 2010 04:03 | VAFB, SLC-3E | Atlas V 501 | 1,112 × 1,109 km × 123° (Retrograde LEO) | Topaz 1 | Radar imaging | Entered service, presumed active | | |
| L-42 | USA-278 | 24 September 2017 05:49:47 | VAFB, SLC-3E | Atlas V 541 | 39,230 × 1,138 km × 63 ° (Molniya) | Trumpet 7 (third generation) | ELINT | Entered service, presumed active | | ||
| L-44 | USA-311 | 11 December 2020 01:09 | CCSFS, SLC-37B | Delta IV Heavy | 35,992 × 35,596 km × 7 ° (GSO) | Orion 10 | SIGINT | Entered service, presumed active | | ||
| L-45 | USA-267 | 10 February 2016 11:40 | VAFB, SLC-6 | Delta IV M+(5,2) | 1,115 × 1,106 km × 123° (Retrograde LEO) | Topaz 4 | Radar imaging | Entered service, presumed active | | ||
| L-47 | USA-281 | 12 January 2018 22:11 | VAFB, SLC-6 | Delta IV M+(5,2) | 1,088 × 1,085 km × 106° (Retrograde LEO) | Topaz 5 | Radar imaging | Entered service, presumed active | | ||
| L-48 | USA-558 - USA-565 | 22 September 2025 17:38 | VSFB, SLC-4E | Falcon 9 Block 5 | 425 × 310 km × 69 ° LEO | Starshield | Entered service, presumed active | | NRO's Proliferated Architecture Mission of 11 Starshield satellites. | ||
| L-49 | Betty | USA-224 | 20 January 2011 21:10 | VAFB, SLC-6 | Delta IV Heavy | 1,003 × 262 km × 97 ° (LEO) | KH-11 15 | Optical imaging | Entered service, presumed active | | |
| L-52 | USA-279 | 15 October 2017 07:28 | CCAFS, SLC-41 | Atlas V 421 | 35,810 × 35,778 km × 3 ° (GSO) | Quasar 21 | Communications | Entered service, presumed active | | ||
| L-55 | USA-264 | 8 October 2015 12:49 | VAFB, SLC-3E | Atlas V 401 | 1,150 × 1,076 km × 63 ° (LEO) | Intruder 11A & 11B | Naval reconnisance | Entered service, presumed active | | Two classified satellites (NROL-55) and 13 CubeSats. | |
| L-56 | - | NLT 2026 | CCSFS, SLC-41 | Vulcan Centaur | Awaiting launch | ||||||
| L-57 | USA-487 - USA-497 | 21 March 2025 06:49 | VSFB, SLC-4E | Falcon 9 Block 5 | 425 × 310 km × 69 ° LEO | Starshield | Entered service, presumed active | | NRO's Proliferated Architecture Mission of 11 Starshield satellites. |