Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Jan. 19 Delta IV NROL-71 Live Launch Broadcast - Begins 10:45 a.m. PST

Tune in for live coverage as ULA launches the NROL-71 aboard the Delta IV Heavy rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

Delta IV NROL-71

Throughout our countdown today, we are highlighting key individuals who are working this Delta IV Heavy rocket launch for the National Reconnaissance Office. Next up is Lou Mangieri, the United Launch Alliance launch director for NROL-71. He oversees the readiness of the launch vehicle to perform t...

NROL-71

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Mission: Government/Top Secret

Low Earth Orbit Space Launch Complex 6 Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA Probability: 40% #NROL71

Classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.

Delta IV Heavy

Family:
Configuration: Heavy

The Delta IV Heavy (Delta 9250H) is an expendable heavy-lift launch vehicle, the largest type of the Delta IV family, and is the world's second highest-capacity rocket in operation. It is manufactured by United Launch Alliance and was first launched in 2004.

See Details
Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    72.0 m
  • Diameter
    5.0 m
  • Fairing Diameter
  • Launch Mass
    733.0 T
  • Thrust
    8674.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Delta IV Heavy
  • Family
  • Variant
    Heavy
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Delta IV Heavy
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $350000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    28370.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    14210.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
    14500.0 kg
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

United Launch Alliance

United Launch Alliance

(ULA)

Interim CEO: John Elbon Founded: 2006 Successes: 172 Failures: 0 Pending: 39

Agency Type:

United Launch Alliance (ULA) is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. ULA was formed in December 2006 by combining the teams at these companies which provide spacecraft launch services to the government of the United States. ULA launches from both coasts of the US. They launch their Atlas V vehicle from LC-41 in Cape Canaveral and LC-3E at Vandeberg. Their Delta IV launches from LC-37 at Cape Canaveral and LC-6 at Vandenberg.

INFO WIKI

Related News

NASA Spaceflight

ULA Delta IV-Heavy launches NROL-71 following lengthy delay

Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Space Launch Complex 6


Long March 6
Success
2 hours, 28 minutes ago
PRSC-EO3
Launch Complex 16 - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Optical Earth observation satellite for the Pakistan government's SUPARCO.


Long March 2D
Success
1 day, 8 hours ago
4 x SatNet test satellites
Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Officially described as "Satellite-Internet Technology Demonstration Satellites". Probably 4 test satellites for the Chinese state-owned LEO commu…


Angara 1.2
Success
2 days, 6 hours ago
Kosmos (Unknown Payload)
35/1 - Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

Unknown satellite(s) for the Russian military.


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 11 hours ago
Starlink Group 17-14
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Success
2 days, 11 hours ago
Kakushin Rising (JAXA Rideshare)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

JAXA-manifested rideshare of eight separate spacecraft that includes educational small sats, an ocean monitoring satellite, a demonstration satellite…


Electron
Success
3 days, 13 hours ago
Bubbles
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 (Launch Area 0 C) - Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

Sub-orbital launch under Rocket Lab’s Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) program, details TBD.


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 7 hours ago
GPS III SV10
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Tenth of ten GPS III missions.


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 22 hours ago
Starlink Group 17-22
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


New Glenn
Failure
6 days, 3 hours ago
BlueBird Block 2 #2
Launch Complex 36A - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

AST SpaceMobile’s Block 2 BlueBird satellites are designed to deliver up to 10 times the bandwidth capacity of the BlueBird Block 1 satellites, requi…


Long March 4C
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Daqi-2 (AEMS)
Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Daqi-2 (DQ-2), also known as the Atmospheric Environment Monitoring Satellite/AEMS, is the second of follow-on series of Chinese satellites to the GF…