Payload

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has successfully launched from Space Launch Complex-3.

The mission, NROL-35, will support national defence and was launched aboard an Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) 541 configuration vehicle.

The vehicle includes a 5m-diameter payload fairing along with four Aerojet Rocketdyne solid rocket motors attached to the Atlas booster, which was powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 engine.

According to the company, the Centaur upper stage was powered by the inaugural flight of the Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10C-1 engine.

Established by the US Air Force to provide assured access to space for Department of Defense and other government payloads, the EELV programme supports the full range of government mission requirements.

The programme also provides significant cost savings over the heritage launch systems.

"This mission was launched on the most powerful Atlas ever launched from California with more than two million pounds of liftoff thrust."

ULA Atlas and Delta Programs vice-president Jim Sponnick said: "We are honoured to deliver the NROL-35 spacecraft to orbit together with our customers, the NRO Office of Space Launch and the air force.

"This mission was launched on the most powerful Atlas ever launched from California with more than two million pounds of liftoff thrust. This was enabled by the addition of the four solid rocket motors, providing additional performance as required to meet our customer’s needs.

"We have been working closely with Aerojet Rocketdyne and our air force customers for several years to develop and extensively test this next-generation engine to enable the most reliable and cost-effective upper stage propulsion for our Atlas and Delta programmes."

ULA’s next launch is scheduled for 20 January 2015 and will be the Atlas V Mobile User Objective System (MUOS-3) satellite for the US Navy from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

Image: Atlas V rocket carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. Photo: courtesy of United Launch Alliance, LLC.

Defence Technology