Recently released photo of an NRO satellite on orbit. Photo of the photo taken by Cal Biesecker

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on Monday night launched its 13th proliferated architecture mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. The Falcon 9 lifted off at 10:13 p.m. EDT. The NROL-172 mission launch was the second proliferated architecture mission this year and the second mission in partnership with the Space Force Space Systems Command’s Systems Delta 80 under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 Launch…