In the nitrosyl halides series (XNO, where X = F, Cl, Br, I), INO is the only chemical species whose rotational spectrum has not been reported. Nitrosyl iodide, together with the nitryl (INO2), nitrite (IONO) and nitrate (IONO2) iodides, is believed to impact tropospheric ozone levels. Guided by our quantum chemical calculations, we report the detection of INO in the gas phase by high-resolution spectroscopy for the first time. INO was generated by mixing continuously I-2 and NO. The measurement and least-squares analysis of 173 a-type rotational transitions resulted in the accurate determination of molecular parameters. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.