The launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is scheduled for Tuesday, April 9, at 11:53 a.m. central time, pending range approval.
The launch will take place at Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla. This is the 16th and final flight of the Delta IV as it is being retired to make way for ULA's Vulcan Centaur, which made its first successful launch back in January.
The booster, payload fairing and second stage fabrication took place in Decatur. ULA cannot disclose the nature of the payload — only that it is for the NRO. However, the NRO develops and operates the world’s most capable reconnaissance satellite systems to collect intelligence for U.S. national security and to support disaster relief and humanitarian efforts.
ULA said, "The NROL-70 mission will strengthen the NRO’s ability to provide a wide range of timely intelligence information to national decision-makers, warfighters, and intelligence analysts to protect the nation’s vital interests and support humanitarian efforts worldwide."
According to ULA, the previous launch scheduled for March 28 was scrubbed.
The company stated, "The launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office was scrubbed today due to an issue with a liquid pump failure on the gaseous nitrogen pipeline, which provides pneumatic pressure to the launch vehicle systems."
However, those systems have now been fixed, and the team feels confident in the launch and is hoping for good weather on April 9.
Watch the ULA launch live stream here.
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