UPDATE: The launch of the Delta IV Heavy rocket has been postponed to Friday (March 29) at 1:37 p.m. EDT, due to an issue with the gaseous nitrogen pipeline. Live Science will host a live stream of the next launch attempt at that time. Here is the full statement issued by the United Launch Alliance:
“The launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office was scrubbed due to an issue with the gaseous nitrogen pipeline which provides pneumatic pressure to the launch vehicle systems. The team initiated operations to secure the vehicle. The launch is now planned for Fri., March 29 at 1:37 p.m. EDT.”
The United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) last Delta rocket is scheduled to launch tomorrow (March 29) at 1:37 p.m. ET (5:37 p.m. GMT) on a classified mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) — and you can watch it live right here.
The launch will end a 64-year run for the Delta rocket fleet, which was designed to lift large payloads into space. The Delta IV Heavy rocket, which is the 16th of its kind to launch since 2004, will carry a secret cargo as it lifts off one last time from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The ULA has not disclosed the nature of the payload that is blasting off into space, but it likely consists of a sophisticated satellite, according to Live Science’s sister site Space.com. The NRO is an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense tasked with designing and operating surveillance satellites, and it rarely makes the nature and purpose of its reconnaissance systems known to the public.
All we know about the current mission is its name, NROL-70, and when it is scheduled to lift off, which you can watch live on a ULA webcast, embedded below.
“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,” representatives of the ULA wrote in a mission statement.
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It is uncertain whether the Delta rocket will actually take off at the newly announced time, as ground winds and cumulus clouds have created unfavorable conditions, already resulting in delays. The 45th Weather Squadron forecasts a 30% chance that the weather will settle down enough for launch on Thursday and a 60% chance of favorable conditions on Friday (March 29), according to Spaceflight Now.
Ground winds are especially concerning, as there is a risk the rocket will be blown back against the launch tower, ULA president and CEO Tory Bruno said during a press conference.
“It depends on the angle of the wind,” Bruno said. “We can launch through a pretty narrow moment in time. So, if the winds calm down, even for just a few minutes… then we’ll launch through that opportunity.”
The Delta IV Heavy rocket is not the only rocket that is reaching the end of its career, with ULA also planning to retire Atlas V. The space launch company is making way for its new Vulcan Centaur rocket, whose controversial first mission — sending Astrobotic’s ill-fated Peregrine lunar lander moonward — launched in early January. Despite a successful launch, the Peregrine spacecraft suffered a fuel leak almost immediately, cutting short its mission and forcing it to crash back through Earth’s atmosphere on Jan. 19.
Daisy Hips is a science communicator who brings the wonders of the natural world to readers. Her articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to environmental conservation. Daisy is also an advocate for science education and enjoys stargazing in her spare time.
