Happening today: Delta IV Heavy rocket launching in Florida for final time after 63 years of service
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The United Launch Alliance (ULA) is sending a Delta IV Heavy rocket up on the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office on Tuesday afternoon.
It's the final launch for the rocket that first launched 20 years ago. The rocket's first launch carried critical payloads for NASA and the United States Space Force.
The rocket is fueled with 330,000 gallons of super-cold liquid hydrogen that was chilled to minus-423 degrees Fahrenheit into its three side-by-side booster cores.
The Delta IV Heavy rocket's cores were also filled with 120,000 gallons of liquid oxygen that was chilled to minus-298 degrees fahrenheit in preparation for the mission. According to ULA, weather conditions are favorable as of Tuesday morning.
The rocket is set to launch at 12:53 p.m. from the Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Central Florida.
The ULA is retiring the rocket for the new and more powerful "Vulcan" rocket.
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