Falcon 9 Block 5 | NROL-172 — what you saw in the sky & launch recap
Thirteenth batch of satellites for a reconnaissance satellite constellation built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the National Reconnaissance Office to provide imaging and other reconnaissance capabilities.
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Liftoff time
- May 12, 2026, 2:13 AM UTC
- May 11, 2026, 10:13 PM Eastern
- May 11, 2026, 7:13 PM Pacific
What you saw
If you spotted a bright streak or contrail in the sky from Lompoc, CA · Vandenberg Village, CA · Orcutt, CA or nearby, this launch is very likely what it was.
- Which way it headed: from Lompoc, CA it first appeared low in the west sky, then climbed toward the south as it flew downrange.
- How long it was visible: from Lompoc, CA, it rose into view about 5 seconds after liftoff and reached its highest point — roughly 57° above the horizon — around T+1m 30s; most viewers had it in sight for a few minutes.
- Daytime launch: In daylight, look for a bright rising contrail and the rocket itself as a moving point of light.
Which cities could see this launch?
Estimated visibility from major towns near US launch sites, assuming clear skies and an open horizon at the time of liftoff. The 10 most likely first:
| City | Visibility | Look toward | Distance to pad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lompoc, CA | Excellent | west | 9 mi |
| Vandenberg Village, CA | Excellent | southwest | 10 mi |
| Orcutt, CA | Excellent | south-southwest | 19 mi |
| Los Alamos, CA | Excellent | west-southwest | 21 mi |
| Guadalupe, CA | Excellent | south | 23 mi |
| Buellton, CA | Excellent | west | 24 mi |
| Santa Maria, CA | Excellent | south-southwest | 24 mi |
| Solvang, CA | Excellent | west | 27 mi |
| Pismo Beach, CA | Excellent | south | 35 mi |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Excellent | south | 45 mi |
Show all 94 cities
| City | Visibility | Look toward | Distance to pad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara, CA | Excellent | west-northwest | 54 mi |
| Ventura, CA | Excellent | west-northwest | 79 mi |
| Oxnard, CA | Excellent | west-northwest | 87 mi |
| Bakersfield, CA | Good | west-southwest | 103 mi |
| Thousand Oaks, CA | Excellent | west-northwest | 106 mi |
| Malibu, CA | Excellent | west-northwest | 117 mi |
| Los Angeles, CA | Excellent | west-northwest | 141 mi |
| Mojave, CA | Good | west-southwest | 141 mi |
| Pasadena, CA | Good | west-northwest | 145 mi |
| Long Beach, CA | Excellent | west-northwest | 151 mi |
| Fresno, CA | Good | south-southwest | 153 mi |
| San Jose, CA | Good | south-southeast | 200 mi |
| San Diego, CA | Excellent | northwest | 238 mi |
| Laredo, TX | Good | west | 1339 mi |
| Corpus Christi, TX | Marginal | west | 1446 mi |
| McAllen, TX | Good | west | 1451 mi |
| Rockport, TX | Marginal | west | 1460 mi |
| Port Aransas, TX | Marginal | west | 1464 mi |
| Harlingen, TX | Marginal | west | 1480 mi |
| Los Fresnos, TX | Marginal | west | 1496 mi |
| Bayview, TX | Marginal | west | 1498 mi |
| Brownsville, TX | Fair | west | 1501 mi |
| Laguna Vista, TX | Marginal | west | 1505 mi |
| Port Isabel, TX | Marginal | west | 1511 mi |
| South Padre Island, TX | Marginal | west | 1512 mi |
| Grand Isle, LA | Not visible | — | 1826 mi |
| Gulf Shores, AL | Not visible | — | 1934 mi |
| Pensacola Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 1964 mi |
| Tallahassee, FL | Not visible | — | 2125 mi |
| Valdosta, GA | Not visible | — | 2173 mi |
| Gainesville, FL | Not visible | — | 2253 mi |
| Brunswick, GA | Not visible | — | 2268 mi |
| Savannah, GA | Not visible | — | 2273 mi |
| Jacksonville, FL | Not visible | — | 2276 mi |
| Tampa, FL | Not visible | — | 2285 mi |
| Hilton Head Island, SC | Not visible | — | 2290 mi |
| St. Augustine, FL | Not visible | — | 2305 mi |
| Lakeland, FL | Not visible | — | 2312 mi |
| Palm Coast, FL | Not visible | — | 2318 mi |
| Charleston, SC | Not visible | — | 2326 mi |
| Orlando, FL | Not visible | — | 2332 mi |
| Sanford, FL | Not visible | — | 2332 mi |
| Kissimmee, FL | Not visible | — | 2337 mi |
| Daytona Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 2337 mi |
| New Smyrna Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 2346 mi |
| Mims, FL | Not visible | — | 2360 mi |
| Titusville, FL | Not visible | — | 2363 mi |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | Not visible | — | 2369 mi |
| Rockledge, FL | Not visible | — | 2374 mi |
| Merritt Island, FL | Not visible | — | 2376 mi |
| Port Canaveral, FL | Not visible | — | 2379 mi |
| Cocoa Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 2381 mi |
| Satellite Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 2386 mi |
| Melbourne, FL | Not visible | — | 2387 mi |
| Palm Bay, FL | Not visible | — | 2390 mi |
| Indialantic, FL | Not visible | — | 2390 mi |
| Richmond, VA | Not visible | — | 2398 mi |
| Sebastian, FL | Not visible | — | 2402 mi |
| Washington, DC | Not visible | — | 2407 mi |
| Vero Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 2410 mi |
| Fort Pierce, FL | Not visible | — | 2419 mi |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | Not visible | — | 2422 mi |
| Baltimore, MD | Not visible | — | 2427 mi |
| Annapolis, MD | Not visible | — | 2435 mi |
| West Palm Beach, FL | Not visible | — | 2455 mi |
| Newport News, VA | Not visible | — | 2455 mi |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | Not visible | — | 2466 mi |
| Norfolk, VA | Not visible | — | 2468 mi |
| Miami, FL | Not visible | — | 2473 mi |
| Cape Charles, VA | Not visible | — | 2478 mi |
| Virginia Beach, VA | Not visible | — | 2485 mi |
| Dover, DE | Not visible | — | 2486 mi |
| Exmore, VA | Not visible | — | 2486 mi |
| Onancock, VA | Not visible | — | 2487 mi |
| Salisbury, MD | Not visible | — | 2489 mi |
| Pocomoke City, MD | Not visible | — | 2493 mi |
| Philadelphia, PA | Not visible | — | 2498 mi |
| Chincoteague, VA | Not visible | — | 2505 mi |
| Wallops Island, VA | Not visible | — | 2505 mi |
| Berlin, MD | Not visible | — | 2509 mi |
| Rehoboth Beach, DE | Not visible | — | 2513 mi |
| Ocean City, MD | Not visible | — | 2517 mi |
| Cape May, NJ | Not visible | — | 2520 mi |
| Ocean City, NJ | Not visible | — | 2535 mi |
Where to look
A rocket lifts off below the horizon for distant viewers, then climbs into view as it gains altitude and flies downrange. Closer to the pad you'll see it within seconds; a few hundred miles away it can take three to six minutes to rise over the horizon. Find an open view in the direction shown for your city and start watching at liftoff.
Watch the live webcast Official launch details More from SpaceX ↗
What was that in the sky? — FAQ
What was the smoke trail in the sky over California on May 11, 2026?
Most likely Falcon 9 Block 5 | NROL-172 — a Falcon 9 Block 5 launched by SpaceX from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA at 7:13 PM PDT. From Lompoc, CA it appeared low in the west sky and climbed toward the south as it headed downrange.
Which cities could see the Falcon 9 Block 5 | NROL-172 launch?
With clear skies, it was likely visible from Lompoc, CA; Vandenberg Village, CA; Orcutt, CA; Los Alamos, CA; Guadalupe, CA; Buellton, CA — and from other towns within a few hundred miles of Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA. The city-by-city table on this page shows the estimated view from each.
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Explore more
Launch data from TheSpaceDevs Launch Library 2. Page generated July 13, 2026.