Delta’s finale is almost here, as United Launch Alliance (ULA) prepares to launch its final Delta IV rocket, bidding farewell to the iconic Cold War-era rocket family.
Updated: March 28, 4:18 p.m. ET: A Delta IV Heavy rocket launch was canceled due to “an issue with the gaseous nitrogen pipeline that provides aerodynamic pressure to the launch vehicle system,” ULA said wrote X. The rocket is now scheduled to lift off at 1:37 pm ET on Friday.
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this Delta IV heavy rocket The launch is scheduled for Thursday at 2:03 pm ET from Space Launch Complex 37 at the Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida. ULA will broadcast the rocket’s final liftoff live on its satellite website, you can also watch via the live stream below. The broadcast will begin at approximately 2:45 pm Eastern Time. Forecasters currently predict a 30% chance of favorable launch weather. Forecasters currently predict a 30% chance of favorable launch weather.
The 235-foot-tall (72-meter) two-stage Delta IV Heavy rocket consists of three booster cores, each powered by an RS-68A engine. ULA describes its last Delta rocket as the “most metallic” because it A huge fireball is created seconds before the engine roars to life, engulfing the booster in flames. The fiery, disturbing sight of a rocket’s boosters being scorched is an intentional and controlled aspect of the launch process, designed to burn off excess hydrogen. This launch is our last chance to witness this iconic exhibition.
On its 16th and final flight, the Delta IV Heavy will carry classified payloads for the National Reconnaissance Office as part of the NROL-70 mission. The payload may be a spy satellite that will be deployed in geostationary orbit.
The Delta IV family of medium- to heavy-lift launch vehicles debuted in 2002, marking the final chapter in the Delta legacy that came to fruition more than 60 years ago. On May 13, 1960, the first Delta rocket launched from SLC-17 at Cape Canaveral, marking the beginning of the U.S. government’s program to develop a set of expendable launch vehicles designed to carry spacecraft from Payloads from satellites to deep space missions.
Delta rockets launched three NASA rovers: Sojourner, Spirit and Opportunity to explore the Martian surface. The rocket family has carried out 388 launches over 60 years and has continued to grow larger and more advanced over time.
ULA’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket is designed to replace Delta.Two-stage orbital, expendable heavy-lift launch vehicle Debut In January, a private Peregrine lander was sent to the moon.
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