The United Launch Alliance is set to launch its most powerful rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It is lofting a classified spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office.
This could be the first of three back-to-back launches out of the Cape, too. SpaceX is set to launch a mission on Friday evening and then another on Sunday.
Such a cluster of missions is not a common event for the Florida spaceport. It could be a historic event for them this week, with lots of things going on. This was a statement from Brig. Gen. Douglas Schiess, commander of the 45th Space Wing.
The rocket going up on ULA’s mission is the Delta 4 Heavy. It is a giant vehicle that consists of three rocket cores strapped together to provide extra thrust.
It’s one of the most powerful rockets in the world. However, it’s just shy of the power packed into SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy.
ULA doesn’t fly the Delta 4 Heavy very often because it’s an expensive vehicle to make. However, the company does use it for large, heavy satellites that need to go to super high orbits.
The rocket’s payload is NROL-44 and its purpose is cloaked in secrecy, just like all NRO missions. The office noted that the NROL-44 supports the NRO’s overall national security mission. That mission is to provide intelligence data to U.S. senior policymakers, the Intelligence Community, and the Department of Defense.
ULA has already launched 29 missions for the NRO. Many of them have required the aid of the Delta 4 Heavy.
SpaceX on Deck once the Delta IV Heavy launches
The company is set to launch a satellite for Argentina’s space agency on Friday night. It will be sending the payload into orbit, over the poles.
This the first time in more than 50 years that a rocket launches into this kind of polar orbit from the Florida coast. After that, on Sunday morning, SpaceX will then launch its next batch of internet-beaming Starlink satellites.
SpaceX had originally hoped to launch this final mission on Saturday. This would’ve meant three launches in three days for Florida.
In a short period, the 45th Space Wing will still have plenty of work to do, despite the one-day delay. To handle each launch, three separate teams have been assembled. That way, there’s no overlap between the groups.
The setup was designed as a precaution. This is to prevent unneeded exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since March, the 45th has also been taking extra precautions to oversee launches. Schiess said that they take temperatures as they go into their operations centers.
They wear face coverings and they have hand sanitizers. They make sure that they wash their hands on a regular basis, Schiess added.
The Delta 4 Heavy is scheduled to lift off at 2:12AM ET out of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. According to the 45th Space Wing, the weather is looking good, so far.
There’s an 80 percent chance that conditions will be favorable. ULA’s webcast will begin at 1:52AM ET.
Moreover, ULA will be doing live reports throughout the countdown, starting at 5:30PM ET. That will also include some trivia about the company.
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