United Launch Alliance carried out a national security mission for the Department of Defense Saturday.
ULA’s Delta IV Heavy rocket lifted off the DOD’s satellite mission for the National Reconnaissance Office from California’s Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 5:25 p.m. CST.
This NRO oversees the nation’s reconnaissance satellite operations. This includes intelligence gathering, research and development efforts, and emergency and disaster relief efforts in the U.S. and around the world.
To date, ULA has launched 153 times with 100% mission success.
Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs, hailed the NRO as “a phenomenal partner” to the rocket manufacturer.
“The NRO has been, and continues to be, a phenomenal partner through 32 collaborative launch campaigns, stemming from ULA’s very first launch in 2006,” said Wentz. “This mission was ULA’s 96th National Security mission and the NRO’s 10th mission on board a Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle – a history that we are very proud of.”
“This was also ULA’s 95th Delta mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base and our fifth and final Delta IV Heavy from the West Coast, completing a long, successful tenure of delivering critical national security payloads. We look forward to preparing Space Launch Complex-3 for future Vulcan flights from the West Coast.”
ULA’s next launch is a commercial launch of the SES-20 and SES-21 mission Sept. 30 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla.
Dylan Smith is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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