Watch ULA launch a classified spy satellite on its most powerful rocket
In the very early morning hours on Thursday, the United Launch Alliance is set to launch its most powerful rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, lofting a classified spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office. The mission could be the first of three back-to-back launches out of the Cape, too, with SpaceX set to launch a mission on Friday and then another on Sunday.
Such a cluster of missions is a rare event for the Florida spaceport. “It could be a historic event for us this week — lots of things going on,” Brig. Gen. Douglas Schiess, commander, of the 45th Space Wing that oversees launches out of the Cape, said during a press call.
The rocket going up on ULA’s mission is the Delta IV Heavy, a giant vehicle that consists of...