Delta IV: World's biggest rocket launched on June 11
13 Jun 2016 12:56 PM IST13 Jun 2016 12:56 PM IST
In its entire history since 2004, DELTA IV Heavy has flown only nine times.
On Saturday, the ULA DELTA IV Heavy, also dubbed as the world's biggest rocket, was launched after two years. The rocket carried the NROL-37, for the National Reconnaissance Office into orbit, in support of national defence.- This diagram shows the breakdown of the rocket into its constituent parts.
- The launch was initially scheduled on June 9, but was postponed due to multiple weather condition violations.
- ULA is a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
- United Launch Alliance (ULA) constructed the DELTA IV Heavy launch vehicle in Decatur, Alabama.
- The rocket is supported by three common booster cores, each powered by an RS-68A engine producing 702,000 pounds of thrust.
- Standing 71.6 m tall, 15m taller than the full space shuttle stack, the rocket built by ULA can deliver up to 28.4 tons of mass to low-Earth orbit.
- This was the ninth flight of DELTA IV Heavy. One of the reasons, why the DELTA IV flies so infrequently is reported to be its costup to about $400 millions per flight.
On Saturday, the ULA DELTA IV Heavy, also dubbed as the world’s biggest rocket, was launched after two years. The rocket carried the NROL-37, for the National Reconnaissance Office into orbit, in support of national defence.
In its entire history since 2004, DELTA IV Heavy has flown only nine times.
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