Launch of Delta IV heavy rocket after nitrogen leak incident

The launch of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV heavy-lift rocket was rescheduled for early morning March 30 after a last-minute nitrogen leak .

United Launch Alliance prepares to launch the Delta IV heavy rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. (Photo: United Launch Alliance).

The launch of the Delta IV heavy rocket was postponed until the early morning of March 30 due to a problem with a nitrogen gas pipeline and will be broadcast live. United Launch Alliance's launch of the Delta IV heavy-lift rocket carrying the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office has been canceled due to a problem with the gas nitrogen line supplying pressurized air to the launcher, United Launch Alliance said. launch vehicle system. The team has begun activities to protect the vehicle. The launch is currently scheduled for 1:37 a.m. March 30'.

This launch will end the 64-year run of the Delta rocket fleet, which is designed to lift large payloads into space. The Delta IV heavy rocket, the 16th to be launched since 2004, will carry a secret cargo when it lifts off for the final time from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

ULA has not disclosed the contents of the payload being launched into space, but it may include a complex satellite, according to Space.com. NRO is an agency within the US Department of Defense that designs and operates surveillance satellites, and the content and purpose of these reconnaissance systems are rarely known to the public.

All we know about the mission right now is its name, NROL-70, and when it's scheduled to take off.

A ULA representative wrote: 'Mission NROL-70 will enhance the NRO's ability to provide more timely intelligence to national decision makers and intelligence analysts to protect living interests. of the nation and support humanitarian efforts worldwide'.

It's unclear whether the Delta rocket will actually take off at the newly announced time, as ground winds and cumulus clouds have created unfavorable conditions that could lead to delays. Weather forecasts say there is a 30% chance the weather will stabilize enough for launch on Thursday and a 60% chance of favorable conditions on Friday and Saturday, according to Spaceflight Now.

Delta is a line of spacecraft launch vehicles used by the United States since 1960. More than 300 Delta rockets have been launched, with a 95% successful launch rate. Delta boosters are the missile line used by the US for the longest time, have the highest reliability and are also the cheapest boosters made by the US. As of November 2020, only the Delta IV heavy booster remains in use by the US. The Delta rocket is currently being built and launched by United Launch Alliance.