NRO Launches Payload on ULA Delta IV Heavy

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) lifted off from Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 11:03 p.m. PDT on Aug. 28. Designated NROL-65, the mission is in support of national defense. This is ULA’s eighth launch in 2013, the 24th Delta IV mission, and the second Delta IV Heavy launch from Vandenberg AFB.

 

According to Jim Sponnick, ULA vice president, the ULA Delta IV Heavy is currently the world’s largest rocket. It stands 235ft (72m) tall and can launch a payload weighing more than 23,000kg (50,000 lb) to low earth orbit.

 

This mission featured the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) configuration, which includes a center common booster core along with two strap-on common booster cores, each powered by a single RS-68 liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine producing 663,000 lb of thrust. One RL10 liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine powered the second stage. Both booster and upper stage engines are built by Aerojet Rocketdyne. The payload was encased by a 5m-diameter (16.7ft-diameter) 65ft, metallic tri-sector payload fairing.

 

ULA constructed the Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle in Decatur, Ala.