A Delta IV rocket launched Friday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Complex 37 carrying a top secret NRO satellite.
Using the world’s most powerful rocket, U.S. space agency officials launched a top secret spy satellite early Friday.
An unmanned Delta IV-Heavy rocket lifted off Friday morning from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It carried a satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office.
“And the RS-68A engines roar to life!” a launch commentator said just after liftoff. “The NRO systems continue to ensure vigilance from above.”
Details of the launch are being kept under wraps for obvious reasons. The NRO is the U.S. Government agency in charge of designing, building, launching, and maintaining America’s intelligence satellites. It was the second rocket launch for the NRO in the last two weeks, and could be an indication that the U.S. is increasing its presence in space.
Liftoff from Launch Complex 37 came after three aborted attempts earlier in the morning, the first at 6:13 a.m., due to a faulty battery voltage reading and issues with two propellant valves. The 232-foot rocket blasted blasted off with upgraded main engines beneath three first-stage boosters, each providing an extra 39,000 pounds of thrust over the earlier version.
Built by Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne, the new RS-68A engines are each capable of generating 702,000 pounds of thrust and are more efficient than a previous design, the rocket engine builders say. The engine is considered the most powerful rocket in use today. The Saturn V, launched from 1967 until 1973m, remains the tallest, heaviest, and most powerful rocket ever brought to operational status, according to NASA.
“This is a stamp of approval for the RS-68A engine and major milestone for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, our United Launch Alliance customer and, most importantly, the nation,” said Dan Adamski, RS-68 program manager, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. “The hard work and determination that everyone dedicated to the RS-68A program over the years brings a new large, liquid hydrogen-fueled engine to market – one capable of lifting heavy payloads into orbit and possibly beyond.”
The team notes that the improvements to the rocket actually represent a massive increase in fuel efficiency.
“We’re getting more miles per gallon and more thrust overall due to these improvements,” said Steve Bouley, vice president of launch vehicle and hypersonic systems for engine maker Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.
While questions over the payload remain, at least one theory holds that the payload could be the last of a Cold War-era program of stealth imaging satellites designed to disguise their location, and could include a decoy sent to a different orbit. That said, some analysts seem to disagree, saying congressional action has left little funding for decoy programs.
The Delta 4-Heavy rocket is currently the largest and most powerful rocket in service. The booster features three core rocket boosters and is topped with a second stage to place payloads into orbit. It is 235 feet tall (72 meters) and can carry payloads of up to 24 tons into low-Earth orbit and 11 tons to geosynchronous orbits.
The mission comes just one week after a top secret spy plane return from low-Earth orbit. The top secret spy plane operated by the U.S. Air Force reportedly returned to Earth after spending an impressive 469 days in orbit, say mission commanders. The X-37B, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle 2, or OTV-2, was launched in March 2011 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
