The National Reconnaissance Office launched new spy satellites into lower Earth orbit late Thursday, adding to the growing constellation of such U.S.-based intelligence-gathering satellites around the world.

A Falcon 9 rocket is set to lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base tonight at 10:52 p.m. EST (7:52 p.m. local California time; 0352 GMT on Jan. 11) on the NROL-153 mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). SpaceX will webcast the action live via its X account, with coverage beginning about 10 minutes before launch.

SpaceX is also flying rudimentary catch fittings on Starship to test their thermal performance on reentry. The ship will fly a more demanding trajectory during descent to probe the structural limits of the redesigned flaps at the point of maximum entry dynamic pressure, according to SpaceX.

The launch marks the seventh deployment in the NRO’s new “proliferated architecture” strategy, which emphasizes smaller, distributed satellite networks

SpaceX has quickly become something of a taxi service for space travel, allowing private companies and governments alike to affordably send satellites into orbit for research and commercial purposes. The frequent launches have reportedly become something of a nightmare for those who live near the launch sites, however.

The Space Coast is in for a possible double-header. Hours after New Glenn launches on its first flight, SpaceX plans to launch a Falcon 9.

SpaceX completed its first launch from Kennedy Space Center for the year on Wednesday morning. A Falcon 9 carrying 21 Starlink satellites lifted off at 10:27 a.m. Eastern time from KSC's Launch Pad 39-A.

SpaceX on Monday launched a Falcon 9 rocket with its first Starlink mission of the new year, sending 24 satellites to low-Earth orbit from Florida.