NROL-44 – Spaceflight Now

Photos: Delta 4-Heavy rocket lights up Cape Canaveral

December 15, 2020 Stephen Clark

These photos show the fiery liftoff of a United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral on Dec. 10, riding three pillars of flame from its hydrogen-fueled RS-68A main engines.

Delta 4-Heavy launches U.S. spy satellite after months of delays

December 11, 2020 Stephen Clark

Running more than three months late, a United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket took off Thursday and carried a U.S. government spy satellite into an orbit thousands of miles above Earth in the first mission from the newly-renamed Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Live coverage: Delta 4-Heavy rocket launches from Cape Canaveral

December 10, 2020 Stephen Clark

A United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 8:09 p.m. EST Thursday (0109 GMT Friday). The long-delayed mission is carrying a classified spy satellite into orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office.

ULA’s Delta 4-Heavy ready for another launch attempt after pad repairs

December 9, 2020 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance is set to try again to launch a Delta 4-Heavy rocket and a classified U.S. government spy satellite Thursday after delays of more than three months caused by persistent issues with the mission’s launch pad.

ULA’s Delta 4-Heavy rocket still grounded by launch pad problem

October 16, 2020 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance engineers have resolved the problem that triggered an abort of a planned Delta 4-Heavy rocket launch Sept. 30, but the company said Friday it is continuing to evaluate a concern with the launch pad swing arm retraction system at Cape Canaveral. ULA said the Delta 4-Heavy’s mission to launch a classified National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite will be postponed beyond next week.

Delta 4-Heavy launch aborted at T-minus 7 seconds

October 1, 2020 Stephen Clark

Another countdown for United Launch Alliance’s next Delta 4-Heavy rocket mission ended without a liftoff Wednesday after a computer sequencer detected a potential problem just before engine ignition.

Mobile gantry wheeled away from Delta 4-Heavy rocket at Cape Canaveral

September 30, 2020 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance teams rolled the Mobile Service Tower away from a Delta 4-Heavy rocket at Cape Canaveral’s Complex 37B launch pad Wednesday in preparation for liftoff on a national security mission.

SpaceX rockets await launch opportunities later this week

September 30, 2020 Stephen Clark

Two SpaceX rockets are standing on launch pads several miles apart on Florida’s Space Coast awaiting launch opportunities Thursday and Friday, once an oft-delayed Delta 4-Heavy rocket from rival United Launch Alliance is able to blast off from Cape Canaveral with a top secret U.S. government spy satellite.

Live coverage: Delta 4-Heavy countdown halted in final seconds

September 28, 2020 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance scrubbed the launch of a Delta 4-Heavy rocket Wednesday night less than 10 seconds before liftoff from Cape Canaveral, the second such abort suffered by this mission.. The launch of a classified National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite is expected to be delayed at least several more days as engineers assess the cause of Wednesday’s last-minute abort.

After weather scrub, Starlink launch to wait for pair of national security missions

September 28, 2020 Stephen Clark

Continuing a dizzying series of rescheduled launches from Florida’s Space Coast, poor weather at the Kennedy Space Center forced SpaceX to keep a Falcon 9 rocket and 60 Starlink broadband satellites on the ground Monday. The Starlink launch is expected to be delayed until Thursday, after a pair of national security missions are set to blast off from Cape Canaveral Tuesday.