Previously, ULA launched NROL-41 on an Atlas V from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. on Sept. 20, 2010. Then it launched NROL-32 on a Delta IV Heavy from here Nov. 21, 2010 and on Jan. 20, 2011 ULA launched NROL-49 on a Delta IV Heavy from VAFB.

"Congratulations to the NRO and to all the mission partners involved in this critical national security launch," said Jim Sponnick, ULA vice president, Mission Operations.

"ULA is very proud to have supported the NRO with this fourth successful launch in such a short period of time.

"Our launch team understands the importance these missions play in protecting our freedoms and supporting our brave men and women deployed around the world."

The Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) configuration launch vehicle used

+ a single common booster core with a Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68 main engine;

+ two Alliant Techsystems GEM 60 solid rocket motors;

+ a PWR RL10B-2 upper stage engine;

+ and a four-meter diameter upper stage and composite payload fairing.

The NROL-27 launch marked the seventh flight of the Delta IV medium+ (4,2) configuration and the 16th flight of the Delta IV family of launch vehicles.

ULA's next launch is the Atlas V NROL-34 mission currently scheduled for April 12, 2011 from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

ULA program management, engineering, test and mission support functions are headquartered in Denver, Colo. Manufacturing, assembly and integration operations are located at Decatur, Ala., Harlingen, Tex. and San Diego, Calif. Launch operations are located at Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., and Vandenberg AFB, Calif.

Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne Successfully Boosts Government Satellite into Orbit
Canoga Park CA - In another display of its commitment to national security, Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne successfully helped boost a satellite for the U.S. government from Cape Canaveral Air Force station, Fla.

The satellite was onboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket, powered by Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne's RS-68 booster engine and an RL10B-2 upper-stage engine. Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne is a United Technologies Corp. company.

"This is a proud moment for Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne, knowing our engines are providing the heavy-lift capabilities needed to place this government asset into space," said Dan Adamski, RS-68 program manager, Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne. "We congratulate our United Launch Alliance customer on another successful launch, and look forward to working together in the future."

Christine Cooley, RL10 program manager, Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne, said, "The successful placement of the satellite into orbit by the RL10B-2 upper-stage engine would not be possible without the unwavering commitment of the RL10 team and its dedication to 100 percent mission success. I want to personally thank the team for their dedication and attention to detail."

The RS-68 is a hydrogen-fueled engine designed for heavy-lift with 758,000 pounds of vacuum thrust and 663,000 pounds of sea-level thrust. The RL10B-2 is a cryogenic upper-stage engine that provides 465 seconds of specific impulse and 24,750 pounds of thrust.

Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne, a part of Pratt and Whitney, is a preferred provider of high-value propulsion, power, energy and innovative system solutions used in a wide variety of government and commercial applications, including the main engines for the space shuttle, Atlas and Delta launch vehicles, missile defense systems and advanced hypersonic engines.

Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne is headquartered in Canoga Park, Calif., and has facilities in Huntsville, Ala.; Kennedy Space Center, Fla.; West Palm Beach, Fla.; and Stennis Space Center, Miss. For more information about Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne, go to www.prattwhitneyrocketdyne.com.

Pratt and Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and commercial building industries.

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News