UPDATE: Tuesday night's launch was canceled after poor weather conditions affected pre-launch preparations. The start is now expected to take place at 11:54 p.m. ET on Wednesday September 30th.
The United Launch Alliance (ULA) will have another bang at the launch of their Delta IV Heavy rocket for the NROL44 mission late Wednesday, September 30th.
The space transport company's offer to use a spy satellite for the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) was thwarted twice in August and several times in the past few days due to technical problems and weather conditions.
When the MST roll began, we discovered a hydraulic leak in the floor system that is required to move the tower and needs further evaluation. The subsequent weather prevents the team from continuing today's attempt. The launch is now scheduled for Wednesday, September 30th, 11:54 p.m. EDT.
– ULA (@ulalaunch) September 29, 2020
The powerful Delta IV Heavy rocket has three booster cores for additional thrust so that the satellite can be brought into a higher orbit. It is the largest rocket in the ULA fleet and the second most powerful rocket in service today after SpaceX's Falcon Heavy. The most powerful rocket ever flown was the Saturn V – the launch vehicle for crewed missions to the moon five decades ago. Plans for other superheavy rockets include NASA's SLS system, SpaceX's spaceship, and Blue Origin's New Glenn.
The upcoming launch is the 141st mission for the ULA and the 29th for the NGO. It is also the 385th Delta launch since 1960, the 12th Delta IV Heavy launch, and the 8th Heavy for the NRO. The Delta rocket family has proven itself over the years and currently has a near-perfect success rate.
How to watch
Colorado-based ULA plans to launch its Delta IV Heavy on Wednesday, September 30th at 11:54 p.m. ET.
You can follow the event on ULA's YouTube channel.
Current information on the launch status can be found in the ULA feeds on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
If you're a fan of rocket launches and space missions, check out this Digital Trends compilation which shows the most important ones that happened during the summer months.
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