[Launch Alert] Delta IV Launched

[Launch Alert]

                             LAUNCH ALERT
 				  
                              Brian Webb
                     Ventura County, California
                  launch-alert-editor at earthlink.net
                        www.spacearchive.info
		       
                                  2012 April 3 (Tuesday) 19:15 PDT
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 UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE DELTA IV ROCKET SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES PAYLOAD
               FOR THE NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE
                          ULA News Release

Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., (April 3, 2012) - A United Launch
Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket carrying a payload for the National
Reconnaissance Office (NRO) lifted off from Space Launch Complex-6
here at 4:12 p.m. PDT today. Designated NROL-25, the mission is in
support of national defense. 

"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 proud to have supported
this mission and delivered critical capabilities to the men and women
defending our freedom throughout the world.  

NROL-25 represents the first of five National Security Space missions
that will be launched by the EELV program over the next four months -
including four NRO missions along with the upcoming AEHF-2 launch.

This mission was launched aboard a Delta IV Evolved Expendable Launch
Vehicle (EELV) Medium-plus 5,2 configuration vehicle, using a ULA
single common booster core powered by a Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
RS-68 main engine, along with two Alliant Techsystems GEM 60 solid
rocket motors. The five-meter diameter upper stage was powered by a
PWR RL10B-2 engine with the satellite encapsulated in a five-meter
diameter composite payload fairing. This was the first launch of this
Delta IV vehicle configuration.

Developed by the United States Air Force to assure access to space for
Department of Defense and other government payloads, the EELV Program
supports the full range of government mission requirements, while
delivering on schedule and providing significant cost savings over the
heritage launch systems.  

ULA's next launch is the Atlas V AEHF-2 mission for the U.S. Air Force
scheduled in early May from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station, Fla.

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

For more information on ULA, visit the ULA Web site at
www.ulalaunch.com, or call the ULA Launch Hotline at 1-877-ULA-4321
(852-4321). Join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch and
twitter.com/ulalaunch. 

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