A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle carrying the NROL-82 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) lifted off from Space Launch Complex-6 on April 26 at 1:47 p.m. PDT.
It's a surreal feeling. Its a bittersweet feeling watching something you've cared for, nurtured, and work on for months, disappear into the blue California sky. It's a mixed feeling of success, pride, and a little bit of sadness every time. It's a feeling I wouldn't trade for the world. Go Delta, go ULA, go NROL-82.
Go to work for SpaceX. (If qualified) Last night was the 25th Starlink mission, boosted by a previously flown Falcon 9,which successfully landed for the SEVENTH TIME. Only 3 more Delta IV heavies left anyway.
Sadness, followed by excitement seeing the sheer power and beauty of a Delta IV Heavy lifting off. Knowing it's days are coming to an end, all while accepting that better ULA rockets will come. It reminds me of sending a child off to college. Knowing it's ready, while understanding you'll never see it the same again, it shall return new and better. Long Live Delta IV Heavy, the Big Orange Beast (BOB), welcome Vulcan Centaur. On a happier note, I saw the second stage (or whatever ULA calls it) from San Diego shortly after launch! Glad I could see it Fly High for the last time near me :)
Can you imagine what it means when a 160 warplanes, which are the most destructive and advanced in the world, to launch 450 raids in 40 minutes, attacking a besieged area in a specific geographical area? This is what happened last night in the North Gaza Strip. It was like hell in every sense of a word. We can’t believe that the sun has rise again from the intensity and horror of what happened.
I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure there is only 2 DIVH launches left neither of which are in FL.... I Happened to see the last one in florida in person. It was a night launch on NROL-44.
No but not for payload mass reasons. There are a few other parameters that it could have been that made ULAs claim that Delta IV heavy was the only rocket actually capable of launching it true so it is interesting to see what that says about the payload.
I've heard that the NRO requires vertical integration for certain craft. SpaceX does not have this capability at the moment (they have a long hangar and roll their rockets horizontally). In addition, as far as we know, the Falcon Heavy payload fairing size would NOT fit a KH-11 like NROL-82. SpaceX fairing is 13 meters long, while a KH-11 seems to be just shy of 20 meters in length. So in short, no, a Falcon Heavy could not perform this mission.
@@jacobbates7766 That is one of the factors at play, I suspect there is some fairing environmental control and some structural loads stuff also at play.
@Eduard van Sligtenhorst That's right... SpaceX really needs to work on their second stage... the DCSS and cryogenics are just so much better for this purpose.
We did the research and we determined that a three-piece, 40 stories tall, sufficiently sealed clamshell assembly building with rollaway segments that are exposed to the launch blast is indeed the most costly solution.
Screw you Space X from ruining my concept of space launches. Now, every company that launces a rocket without returning it's 1st stage feels lame. I used to think the Delta Heavy was awesome till Space X ruined it.
I feel you man. I kinda feel the same but just that their is hardly any variety in launches due to Falcon 9 any more. I used to enjoy seeing mostly Atlas V launches but their where so many configurations and even then Atlas V didnt dominate the market to the extent SpaceX does. Now its just the same old Falcon 9 going up all the time.
