Tag: NRO
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Three Atlas 5, Delta 4 assigned to military launches
CAPE CANAVERAL — Three rockets under the existing Block Buy between the Pentagon and United Launch Alliance have been assigned configurations and payloads. The $382.9 million, fixed-price contract awarded last week covers a Delta 4 rocket and two Atlas 5 vehicles that will launch in the next two years. “We are enormously honored to be…
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Record-setting Atlas launches with new Centaur engine
Credit: ULA A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket put on a display of power, sound and light Friday evening at Vandenberg Air Force Base in launching a clandestine national security payload, then successfully debuted a new upper stage engine as it flew over the horizon. “This is the most powerful Atlas vehicle ever launched…
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Live coverage: Atlas 5 blasts off from California
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket on the NROL-35 mission with a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.
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Atlas/NROL-35 mission stats
This will be… The 633rd launch for Atlas program since 1957 The 294th Atlas launch from Vandenberg AFB since 1959 The 43rd Atlas to use Space Launch Complex 3 The 10th Atlas 5 launch from Vandenberg AFB since 2008 The 222nd mission for the Centaur upper stage The 199th use of Centaur by an Atlas…
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SpaceX ready to compete in the EELV launch market via Air Force agreement
Often cited as a highly contentious issue by SpaceX head Elon Musk, the stranglehold on the US Air Force market appears to be loosening, following a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the USAF, the NRO (National Reconnaissance Office) and NASA, which opens up the potential for commercial launch vehicles – such as Falcon 9 –…
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Delta IV Heavy finally launches with NRO L-26
After three years of delays, United Launch Alliance have launched the third Delta IV Heavy, carrying the classified NRO L-26 satellite for the US National Reconnaissance Office. The rocket finally launched liftoff from Launch Complex 37B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, at 02:47 GMT (21:47 local time), following the resolution of a number of…