Another collection of next-generation spy satellites get a ride into orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket set to liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Thursday, marking the third similar mission since May.

The window for the SpaceX rocket from Space Launch Complex-4 on South Base opens at 8:20 p.m. Thursday.

Since the mission involves a top-secret payload, the launch window remains clandestine. However, liftoff is not expected to occur after 10:44 p.m., according to notices warning boaters and pilots of the mission.

If the launch is delayed, a backup opportunity is available starting at 7:58 p.m. Friday, according to SpaceX.

After completing it 20th liftoff, the first-stage booster will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship.

The rocket will carry a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, the agency responsible for top-secret satellites. The mission has been dubbed NROL-113.

While NRO typically remains mum about the payloads’ specific mission, the agency launches satellites for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

Instead of humongous satellites launched every few years, NRO has adopted a new approach launching dozens of small spacecraft.

NRO Director Chris Scolese recently provided the keynote speech at a Small Satellite Conference. 

In the 60 years of the agency’s existance, he noted the dramatic evolution of the spy satellite business. 

“We have evolved from parachutes carrying buckets of film in our earliest days to the digital transmission of data today. As the world has grown more complex and the demand for data more imperative, we are constantly working to improve, to do things better, smarter, faster than what we did before,” Scolese said. 

“The clearest example in this tremendous pace of innovation is in the way we are expanding our overhead architecture.”

Over the next decade the agency intends to evolve from dozens of satellites on orbit to hundreds delivering data in minutes or even seconds.

The agency plans several more launches for its smaller satellites before the end of 2024 and more through 2028. 

“Having hundreds of small satellites on orbit is invaluable to the NRO’s mission. They will provide greater revisit rates, increase coverage, more timely delivery of information and ultimately help us deliver more of what our customers need faster,” Scolese added. 

Revisit rates refers to the times a satellite passes over a certain point on Earth, which can be vital in assessing military or activity. 

The new “proliferated architecture,” — military phrase for a system employing hundreds of small satellites instead of one large spacecraft — also will eliminate single points of failure, making NRO more resilient, Scolese added.

In the past, a problem during a rocket launch or a satellite experiencing a problem could lead to a total mission failure and months or years to recover.

Scolese also revealed the agency is exploring how to employ artificial intelligence to help achieve the NRO mission.

For example, AI can help significantly trim the checkout time of a satellite.

“It’s important to note that none of this is about eliminating the human role. We are optimizing our team to do what the NRO has always done — use cutting edge technology to achieve our mission smarter, faster and more efficiently,” Scolese said.

A live webcast of the mission is scheduled to begin on the SpaceX account on X about 5 minutes before liftoff.

This will be the third NRO mission from Vandenberg aboard SpaceX with NROL-146 launching in May and NROL-186 lifting off in late June.