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
00:00 And the vehicle has cleared the tower.
00:07 Take normal flight control disturbances for early phase of flight.
00:13 All three engines operating nominally.
00:24 Vehicle continues to operate nominally, just past 30 seconds into the mission.
00:28 Mark that we're looking for. Throttling core down.
00:31 And we've started that sequence.
00:34 Core is throttling down as expected.
00:37 And we've now reached FPL on core, right as planned. Everything looks good.
00:46 Core is at min power level.
00:50 Core and starboard strap-on still operating at enhanced power level.
01:01 Mission parameters look good. Flight control disturbances look good.
01:09 We have fired the isolation spiral valve on second stage reaction control system.
01:16 We're about to ready that system for operation.
01:22 Engines continue to look good.
01:28 We've passed through Mach 1 and Mach 2.
01:55 And we've fired the spiral valve, pressurized the reaction control system on second stage.
02:00 Pressure is coming up. Everything looks good there.
02:09 What we're looking for is going to full loop guides.
02:13 We've got three or four seconds.
02:16 And we've started full loop guides. Vehicle maneuvering as expected.
02:20 Engines continue to look good.
02:32 And we are three minutes to core BECO.
02:43 And the vehicle is now one-half its liftoff weight.
02:47 Three engines operating normally. Everything looking good.
02:55 And the vehicle is now 29 nautical miles in altitude, 64 miles downrange, traveling at 5,300 miles per hour.
03:07 Everything continues to look good.
03:10 And we've just passed through the Karmann line, reaching 100 kilometers in altitude.
03:22 Everything looking good.
03:27 Two minutes to core BECO.
03:29 Coming up on throttle down on the strap-ons.
03:35 And we've begun throttling down the strap-on boosters in preparation for cutoff.
03:42 We've now achieved min power level on the strap-ons.
03:48 And cutoff. We have cutoff port and starboard boosters coming up on strap-on set.
03:53 And we have strap-on separation. Disturbances look good.
03:57 Throttled up the core booster.
03:59 We're now at EPL, the single stage booster.
04:07 And we've re-enabled steering following separation of the strap-ons.
04:10 Everything looking good.
04:27 One minute to core BECO.
04:33 Housing temps respond as expected on the RL-10.
04:35 And we've started LH2 boost phase chill down.
04:39 Housing temps responding as expected.
04:41 Flight control disturbances are small.
04:45 Core RS-68 continues to operate as expected.
04:59 About 20 seconds to our next mark event throttling down the core booster in preparation for BECO.
05:18 Core booster is throttling down. Coming up on booster engine cutoff.
05:25 And we have BECO.
05:28 Cutoff on the booster. Everything looking good.
05:40 And state separation occurred right as expected. NEDs have deployed.
05:46 And we have pre-start. Start and full thrust.
05:51 RL-10 is up and running normally. Everything looking good.
06:03 Minus 15.
06:06 Rofi ignition.
06:09 T minus 10.
06:11 Nine.
06:12 Eight.
06:13 Seven.
06:14 Six.
06:15 Five.
06:16 We have ignition.
06:17 Two.
06:18 One.
06:19 And liftoff of the final United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket.
06:26 Carrying NROL-70 for the National Reconnaissance Office
06:30 and closing Delta's six-decade legacy of excellence in space.
06:34 (rocket engine noise)
07:00 (unintelligible)
07:11 Core is at min power level.
07:15 Core and starboard strap-ons still operating at min power level.
07:22 You are hearing the voice of Rob Gannon providing launch vehicle ascent data.
07:26 Coordinators look good. Flight control surfaces look good.
07:33 And we have fired the isolation spiral valve on second stage reactive control system.
07:40 First step in readying that system for operation.
07:47 Engine continue to look good.
07:53 Gas through Mach 1 and Mach 2.
07:57 Throttle strips there. Everything looking good.
08:02 All three boosters operating as expected.
08:17 All three boosters operating as expected. Everything looking good.
08:20 And we fired the power valve, pressurizing the reactive control system on second stage.
08:24 Pressure's coming up. Everything looking good there.
08:33 What we're looking for is going to full loop guides.
08:38 At the three or four seconds.
08:40 And we've started full loop guides. Vehicle maneuvering as expected.
08:44 All three engines continue to look good.
08:52 [Music]