The United Launch Alliance's (ULA's) Delta IV heavy-lift rocket launched the NROL-70 mission from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
It was the final launch for the historic rocket. See the rocket cam footage here.
Credit: ULA
It was the final launch for the historic rocket. See the rocket cam footage here.
Credit: ULA
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TechTranscript
00:00And vehicle has cleared the tower.
00:07Normal flight control disturbances for early phase of flight.
00:13All three engines operating nominally.
00:24Vehicle is operating nominally, just past 30 seconds into the mission.
00:28Mark that we're looking for, throttling core down.
00:31And we've started that sequence.
00:34Core is throttling down as expected.
00:37And we're now reaching FPL on core, right as planned.
00:40Everything looks good.
00:46Core is at min power level.
00:50Core and starboard strap-on still operating at enhanced power level.
01:01Mission parameters look good.
01:03Flight control disturbances look good.
01:09We have fired the isolation spiral valve on second stage reaction control system.
01:16We're about to ready that system for operation.
01:22Engines look good.
01:28And we've passed through Mach 1 and Mach 2.
01:46And we've fired the spiral valve, pressurizing the reaction control system on second stage.
02:00Pressure is coming up.
02:01Everything looks good there.
02:09What we're looking for is going to old loop guides.
02:14Three or four seconds.
02:16And we've started the loop guide.
02:18Vehicle maneuvering as expected.
02:20All three engines continue to look good.
02:33And we are three minutes to core BECO.
02:44And the vehicle is now one-half its liftoff weight.
02:47All three engines operating normally.
02:48Everything looking good.
02:56And the vehicle is now 29 nautical miles in altitude.
03:0164 miles downrange, traveling at 5,300 miles per hour.
03:07Everything continues to look good.
03:11And we've just passed through the Karman line, reaching 100 kilometers in altitude.
03:23Everything looking good.
03:27Two minutes to core BECO.
03:30And we've begun throttling down on the strap-ons.
03:36And we've begun throttling down the strap-on boosters in preparation for cutoff.
03:42We've now achieved min power level on the strap-ons.
03:48And cutoff.
03:49We have cutoff port and starboard boosters coming up on strap-on side.
03:54And we have strap-on separation.
03:55Disturbances look good.
03:58Throttled up the core booster.
03:59We're now at EPL, the single stage booster.
04:07And we've re-enabled steering following separation of the strap-ons.
04:10Everything looking good.
04:27One minute to core BECO.
04:33Housing temps respond as expected on the RL-10.
04:35And we've started LH-2 boost phase chill-down.
04:39Housing temps responding as expected.
04:41Flight control disturbances are small.
04:43And the core RS-68 continues to operate as expected.
04:59About 20 seconds to our next mark event, throttling down the core booster in preparation for BECO.
05:18And core booster is throttling down, coming up on booster engine cutoff.
05:25And we have BECO.
05:28Cutoff on the booster.
05:29Everything looking good.
05:40And state separation occurred right as expected.
05:42NEDS have deployed.
05:46And we have pre-start.
05:48Start and full thrust.
05:51RL-10 is up and running normally.
05:53Everything looking good.
06:03Minus 15.
06:06Rofi ignition.
06:09T minus 10.
06:11Nine.
06:12Eight.
06:13Seven.
06:14Six.
06:15Five.
06:16Ignition.
06:17Two.
06:18One.
06:21And liftoff of the final United Launch Alliance Delta IV heavy rocket,
06:26carrying NROL-70 for the National Reconnaissance Office
06:30and closing Delta's six-decade legacy of excellence in space.
06:59Throttling down as expected.
07:02And we're now reaching FPL on core.
07:04And there's land.
07:05Everything looking good.
07:11Core is at min power level.
07:15Core and starboard strap-on still operating at power level.
07:22You are hearing the voice of Rob Gannon providing launch vehicle ascent data.
07:26Parameters look good.
07:28Flight control surfaces look good.
07:33And we have fired the isolation spiral valve on second stage reactive control system.
07:40First step in readying that system for operation.
07:47Engines continue to look good.
07:53Gas through Mach 1 and Mach 2.
07:57Throttle strips there.
07:58Everything looks good.
08:02All three blisters operating as expected.
08:17All three blisters operating as expected.
08:19Everything looks good.
08:20And we've fired the pyro valve, pressurizing the reactive control system on second stage.
08:24System pressure is coming up.
08:26Everything looks good there.
08:34What we're looking for is going to full-loop guides.
08:38We have three or four seconds.
08:40And we've started full-loop guides.
08:42Vehicle maneuvering as expected.
08:44All three engines continue to look good.