The nation’s next-generation spy-satellite constellation grew Thursday morning after a Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base. 

The SpaceX rocket carrying a National Reconnaissance Office payload blasted off at 10:13 a.m. amid unusually clear skies for the morning departure.

Officials remained mum about the NROL-167 payload deployment, but later called the mission successful. 

NRO officials said the mission added to the U.S. government’s largest constellation of satellites.

While NRO stayed tight-lipped about the specifics, the mission likely involved 20 satellites for the new proliferated overhead architecture, or the agency’s switch to deploying multiple smaller spacecraft.

“Having hundreds of small satellites on orbit is invaluable to the NRO’s mission. They will provide greater revisit rates, increased coverage, more timely delivery of information—and ultimately help us deliver more of what our customers need even faster,” NRO Director Chris Scolese said in a written statement.

NRO is in the middle of what it calls a dynamic 18-month period ending late this year involving 12 missions to place more than 100 payloads in orbit from multiple launch sites. 

With NROL-167 off the ground, the agency has four other missions planned before 2024 ends but doesn’t say where those will occur. 

Additional launches are scheduled through 2028. 

This was the fourth Falcon 9 flight for NRO from Vandenberg since May 22. 

The liftoff was the 396th overall launch for SpaceX and the eighth carrying an NRO payload. 

It also marked the 101st blastoff of 2024 for SpaceX and the 35th from the Vandenberg, an important number as SpaceX and Vandenberg near number 36 for 2024.

The California Coastal Commission recently objected to a proposed increase in the number of SpaceX launches from 36 to 50 annually, leading the launch firm to file a federal lawsuit against the state agency.

Vandenberg officials contend all SpaceX launches should be treated as federal activity when reviewed by the state panel. But Coastal Commissioners believe SpaceX should obtain a Coastal Development Permit as a private firm despite the fact it’s operating on military land. 

Ultimately, Vandenberg expects to return to the Coastal Commission early in 2025 for the SpaceX plan to conduct 100 launches a year as the firm adds a second facility, Space Launch Complex-6 on South Base, for Falcon liftoffs.