Delta IV rocket to launch military satellite Friday

A powerful Delta IV rocket will carry a classified reconnaissance satellite for the U.S. military into earth orbit on Friday from America's Space Coast.

The United Launch Alliance Delta IV-medium will carry the NROL-27 for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office in support of the military's national defense.

Friday's launch will mark the fifteenth Delta IV launch since 2002.

Launch of the Boeing-built Delta IV with it's classified military payload is planned for March 11 at 5:57 p.m. EST (2257 GMT), from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The launch window is unknown.

Cape weather out of Patrick, AFB states weather is forecast 90% favorable at launch time.

As the Delta IV reaches zero a top launch complex 37B, the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68 liquid fueled single core engine will ignite, followed by twin Graphite-Epoxy Motors or GEM-60 solid fueled rockets to send the rocket aloft.

Several minutes into the launch, the twin boosters will separate followed by the clam shell payload fairing a minute later.

The Delta IV will then soar eastward out over the Atlantic waters as it heads into a cloudless blue sky thirty minutes prior to sunset.

Once the 4 meter wide payload fairing separates, the Air Force will put the final minutes of the Delta's ascent into a news blackout as it carries it's payload to a secret orbital plane.

This launch will mark the third NROL satellite to be placed in orbit in 2011.

Classified military satellite nears California launch

A secret military defense satellite for the United States will head into space on Thursday aboard the most massive rocket ever launched from the California coast.

The United States' National Reconnaissance Office L-49 satellite is one of the largest payloads to be placed into a polar orbit around earth, and will serve as both an early warning platform for incoming foreign threats and to observe known hostile regions.

This flight will also mark the first space shot of the new year for the United States.

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV-Heavy rocket uses three liquid-fueled rocket boosters at launch, and will carry aloft the NROL-49 from launch pad SLC-6 at Vandenberg, AFB, on January 20 at 4:08:05 pm EST (1:08 pm local).

The brief launch window closes at 4:23 pm, Air Force officials said.

This fifth flight of a Delta IV-Heavy will lift-off from the south base's space launch complex 6, the same pad which was primed in the mid-1980's for the military's space shuttle launches.

Four previous Delta IV-Heavy's have launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station since January 2004.

The countdown will begin at 10:38 am EDT, on Thursday at the T-5 hour, 15 minute point.

A half-hour later, the launch team will begin fueling the liquid oxygen tanks of the common booster core. Just over an hour later, the liquid hydrogen fueling will start.

The 236-foot tall rocket features three common booster cores with a single engine, each delivering nearly 745,000 pounds of thrust at launch or 2,234,000 pounds combined.

Launch begins at T-4 seconds when the three RS-68 engines ignite and throttle to full thrust.

Once the Delta rises into the midday skies, the launch will be visible around the Los Angels region to the south as the vehicle darts south and out over the Pacific Ocean.

Just over six minutes into the launch, the three booster cores will have emptied their fuel and will be jettisoned.

The exact deployment time of the payload will not be disclosed, according to the 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg.

The next Delta IV-H is on the table to fly from Cape Canaveral in December, however two medium size Delta IV's will launch beginning this spring also from the Cape.

Atlas 5 Lifts-off on Military Satellite Mission

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 successfully lifted-off from America's Space Coast this afternoon on a classified mission to deploy a communications satellite into earth orbit.

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Launch occurred on time under beautiful blue skies at 5:35:01 pm EDT, from launch complex 41 here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Today's seventeenth flight of an Atlas 5 rocket since 2002 saw the main copper booster with an RD-180 engine separate at 5:39 pm, followed by the payload fairing jettison moments later.

The PAN payload is a classified payload, however Cape officials here mentioned to this reporter that it is a military communications satellite. Also, we have learned that it was launched into an orbital inclination of 23.06 degrees to the equator.

The PAN spacecraft later separated from the centaur upper stage about two hours following lift-off at 7:34:26 pm. Initial orbit of the spacecraft was 19,317 x 3949 nautical miles at separation tonight.

Space Coast prepares for Tuesday Atlas 5 Launch

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket is scheduled to boost a classified department of defense satellite into earth orbit on Tuesday from America's sunny Space Coast.

Lift-off of the Atlas 5-401 is set for Tuesday, September 8 at 5:35 pm EDT -- the opening of a 129 minute launch window -- from launch complex 41 here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

The payload, simply called PAN, is classified government communications satellite with no details being released on the nature or look of the American payload. Based on rocket specifications, PAN is about 1 meter wide, and not as heavy as most DoD satellites.

At T-3 seconds, the Atlas' RD-180 engine will ignite launching the 107 foot, white and bronze colored rocket from it's sea side pad at T+1 second.

Following an on time launch, the spacecraft will separate from the centaur upper stage at the conclusion of the stage's second burn, at 7:34 pm.

SpaceLaunchNews.com will carry the launch LIVE right here, and follow the countdown via our LIVE updates on your mobile phone or PDA on Twitter: @spacelaunchnews.