Tag: AV-072
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Video: NROL-42 launch aboard the Atlas 5 rocket
The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, standing 197 feet tall and and weighing 1.2 million pounds, unleashes 2.4 million pounds of thrust from its main engine and four side-mounted solid boosters at 10:49:47 p.m. local time (1:49:47 a.m. EDT; 0549:47 GMT) to launch the secret NROL-42 payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office from…
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Photos: News media images of Atlas 5 launch
The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket leaves Space Launch Complex 3-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on the NROL-42 satellite-deployment mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. Photo credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News See earlier NROL-42 coverage.
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Photos: Atlas 5 powers NRO payload into the night
The Atlas 5 rocket blasts off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for its late-night ascent to deploy the NROL-42 payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. Credit: Alex Polimeni/Spaceflight Now See earlier NROL-42 coverage.
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Signals intelligence gatherer successfully launched by powerful Atlas 5 rocket
A signals intercepter for the U.S. spy satellite agency was successfully launched into a high orbit over the top of the world by an Atlas 5 rocket on Saturday night. Liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California came at 10:49:47 p.m. local time (1:49:47 a.m. EDT; 0549:47 GMT Sunday) after an eight-hour countdown. Rapidly…
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Photos: Gantry rolled back to reveal Atlas 5 rocket for launch
The mobile service tower retracts from the Atlas 5 rocket, revealing the 197-foot-tall vehicle for liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, carrying the classified NROL-42 national security payload for the U.S. government. Credit: United Launch Alliance See earlier NROL-42 coverage.
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Preview: ULA milestone launch for National Reconnaissance Office set
Patches of the 25 NRO missions, including this week’s upcoming launch, that have been entrusted to ULA rockets. United Launch Alliance, a union of Atlas and Delta rockets formed a decade ago for U.S. government spacelift needs, will conduct its 25th deployment mission for the country’s spy satellite agency Thursday night. The milestone launch in…
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Fact sheet: Atlas 5 rocket to launch the NROL-42 mission from Vandenberg
*** AV-072/NROL-42 launch fact sheet *** Payload: CLASSIFIED NATIONAL SECURITY PAYLOAD NRO satellite in Molniya orbit Collects signals intelligence Launch Date: Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017 Target Launch Time: 10:30 p.m. local 1:30 a.m. EDT on Sept. 24 0530 GMT on Sept. 24 Unclassified Launch Period: Four hours 7:25-11:35 p.m. local 0225-0635 GMT on Sept. 24…
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Photos: NROL-42 payload joins Atlas 5 booster for launch
This photo gallery shows the classified National Reconnaissance Office payload, already encapsulated in the 18-foot-diameter nose cone, being lifted atop the United Launch Alliance Atlas-Centaur rocket at Vandenberg Air Force Base’s Space Launch Complex 3-East pad. This milestone was achieved on Aug. 27. Launch of NROL-42 is planned for Thursday night, Sept. 21, at 10:38…