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1 of 4 | The United Launch Alliance is preparing for nan past Delta IV-launched ngo Friday. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo
March 28 (UPI) -- United Launch Alliance has delayed nan past motorboat of a Delta IV Heavy rocket booster to Friday afternoon.
The rocket, which served arsenic a workhorse for uncrewed American abstraction missions for years, was group to launch from Space Launch Complex-37 astatine Cape Canaveral Space Force Base astatine 2:45 p.m. EDT, but formation power issued a clasp astatine astir 4 minutes to launch.
Launch Director Ton Heter confirmed nan motorboat would not spell guardant arsenic planned. The adjacent motorboat effort will beryllium astatine 1:37 p.m. EDT connected Friday.
The launch, dubbed NROL-70, is being carried retired connected behalf of nan National Reconnaissance Office pinch a classified payload that is believed to beryllium an Electronic Signals Intelligence Satellite.
The motorboat marks nan extremity of nan Delta IV's profession and nan retirement of nan Delta family of rockets, which person carried payloads into abstraction for nan U.S. since 1960.
The first successful Delta motorboat placed nan Echo 1A communications outer research into orbit.
The Delta IV Heavy, developed by Macdonald Douglas and Boeing, pursuing nan 1997 merger betwixt nan 2 companies, and now built by nan United Launch Alliance, was nan level that carried a ample number of U.S. satellites complete nan past 2 decades.
The first Delta IV flew successful 2002 and Thursday's motorboat will people nan 45th and last motorboat from nan platform. Of nan 44 anterior launches, 16 were conducted via nan Delta IV Heavy.
While astir Delta IV Heavy launches person been connected behalf of nan U.S. defense establishment, nan level has besides carried satellites for nan National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA itself.
