Delta IV Heavy NROL-82 Launch Highlights

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle carrying the NROL-82 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) lifted off from Space Launch Complex-6 on April 26 at 1:47 p.m. PDT.

[@pentaborane5034]

Delta IV Heavy is such a beautiful beast!

[@sinpi314]

It really is!

[@sinpi314]

@Anamaria Vialpando bruh comment bots

[@thesquirrel914]

It's a surreal feeling. Its a bittersweet feeling watching something you've cared for, nurtured, and work on for months, disappear into the blue California sky. It's a mixed feeling of success, pride, and a little bit of sadness every time. It's a feeling I wouldn't trade for the world. Go Delta, go ULA, go NROL-82.

[@captainemeritus5927]

Go to work for SpaceX. (If qualified) Last night was the 25th Starlink mission, boosted by a previously flown Falcon 9,which successfully landed for the SEVENTH TIME. Only 3 more Delta IV heavies left anyway.

[@javiervazquez2815]

Thank you for your work! Everyone who works on these rockets are the reason they are 100% reliable 👏🏻

[@burz96]

@@captainemeritus5927 spacex isn't for everyone. they overwork their engineers and for less pay. know several people who turned down offers from them.

[@captainemeritus5927]

@@burz96 Do you have ANY proof of your slanderous statement, other than gossip and hearsay, comrade?

[@burz96]

@@captainemeritus5927 When close friends tell me their experiences I tend to believe them, comrade.

[@javiervazquez2815]

3 more to go 😢 Beautiful Beast 🔥

[@bvimo1021]

Someone has a good video editor

[@Xolivas1]

What a beauty the Delta Heavy is as it rises away from the pad, rising into the heavens above. Congrats to ULA for yet another successful launch

[@kb7vml]

These NRO missions have some of the most badass-looking mission patches!

[@compi653]

This video is a masterpiece

[@thinkingthing4851]

Sadness, followed by excitement seeing the sheer power and beauty of a Delta IV Heavy lifting off. Knowing it's days are coming to an end, all while accepting that better ULA rockets will come. It reminds me of sending a child off to college. Knowing it's ready, while understanding you'll never see it the same again, it shall return new and better. Long Live Delta IV Heavy, the Big Orange Beast (BOB), welcome Vulcan Centaur. On a happier note, I saw the second stage (or whatever ULA calls it) from San Diego shortly after launch! Glad I could see it Fly High for the last time near me :)

[@thomasjwynn]

What a fantastic launch. I love the Delta IV Heavy rocket.

[@seifb7147]

Can you imagine what it means when a 160 warplanes, which are the most destructive and advanced in the world, to launch 450 raids in 40 minutes, attacking a besieged area in a specific geographical area? This is what happened last night in the North Gaza Strip. It was like hell in every sense of a word. We can’t believe that the sun has rise again from the intensity and horror of what happened.

[@drone_boss]

4th actual live launch! FH, F9, Atlas V and Delta Heavy! It still never gets old. Next stop, Wallops Island!

[@chucklaw1955]

That was absolutely incredible 🚀☄️🌌

[@bobmillerick300]

Great share. Thanks

[@lovaravonimanantsoa8583]

Outstanding 👍🏽

[@mjoao4635]

Always a GREAT SHOW...... top, top, top ,,,

[@isxdeath]

Good Job !

[@fabioferreiragomes]

..........INCRÍVEL...........ESPETACULAR.........

[@smjosten1345]

Oh my yes

[@zethir]

Esse foguete é bonito!

[@pcaetano7527]

what is the status of 91 ? is it really the last launch of it's type there?

[@bblod4896]

Fly like an Eagle...

[@PF9O]

Seems like a tragic waste that the RS-68 engines aren't recovered

[@imaglover]

Your playing my song!

[@soumyojitpal3399]

Do you have a link to this track ?

[@lordarnold8524]

When's next Delta Heavy going to launch here in Florida?

[@shaywaterstheone9477]

I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure there is only 2 DIVH launches left neither of which are in FL.... I Happened to see the last one in florida in person. It was a night launch on NROL-44.

[@lordarnold8524]

@@shaywaterstheone9477 yea we had one in Florida, I have crappy video of it on here. Didn't get home in time to grab better equipment

[@lordarnold8524]

@@shaywaterstheone9477 yea we had one in Florida, I have crappy video of it on here. Didn't get home in time to grab better equipment

[@lordarnold8524]

We've actually had 9 Delta Heavy launches & Vanderburg has had 4 Look like January we have 2 more on schedule. They are beautiful to watch & listen to

[@shaywaterstheone9477]

@@lordarnold8524 I do knows, there is only a few launches before it's officially retired because of the vulcan rocket coming up...

[@darksideofaquarius2990]

the most heavy metal rocket has to have a proper Metal soundtrack. 👀 and I did it...

[@aerohk]

Could Falcon Heavy do the same job?

[@SpacemanTarian42]

No but not for payload mass reasons. There are a few other parameters that it could have been that made ULAs claim that Delta IV heavy was the only rocket actually capable of launching it true so it is interesting to see what that says about the payload.

[@jacobbates7766]

I've heard that the NRO requires vertical integration for certain craft. SpaceX does not have this capability at the moment (they have a long hangar and roll their rockets horizontally). In addition, as far as we know, the Falcon Heavy payload fairing size would NOT fit a KH-11 like NROL-82. SpaceX fairing is 13 meters long, while a KH-11 seems to be just shy of 20 meters in length. So in short, no, a Falcon Heavy could not perform this mission.

[@SpacemanTarian42]

@@jacobbates7766 That is one of the factors at play, I suspect there is some fairing environmental control and some structural loads stuff also at play.

[@coffeespy1133]

No, lack of vertical integration and fairing size limit this to only DIVH

[@jacobbates7766]

@Eduard van Sligtenhorst That's right... SpaceX really needs to work on their second stage... the DCSS and cryogenics are just so much better for this purpose.

[@imaglover]

❤🇺🇸✔

[@artysanmobile]

We did the research and we determined that a three-piece, 40 stories tall, sufficiently sealed clamshell assembly building with rollaway segments that are exposed to the launch blast is indeed the most costly solution.

[@gnerwm]

Would you mind giving me a Source for that?

[@artysanmobile]

@@gnerwm Umm, that was a joke.

[@randbarrett8706]

Such a beautiful way to fund aerospace without actually producing anything new

[@aure761]

Second

[@cursed_train_vids342]

First

[@Montecitodesign]

Who picks up your trash (boosters) out of the ocean?

[@oren2000]

nobody, they get destroyed on impact

[@sinpi314]

They become part of the local ecosystem. If they're not destroyed that is..

[@captainemeritus5927]

Three Hundred and Fifty Million Dollar artificial reef/fish habitat.

[@Mr-Chris]

Screw you Space X from ruining my concept of space launches. Now, every company that launces a rocket without returning it's 1st stage feels lame. I used to think the Delta Heavy was awesome till Space X ruined it.

[@fredbloggs5902]

That because it is lame.

[@dummyjoe7895]

Not all rockets need to be reusable at this time. In the next 10-20 years yes. But right now it’s not needed, or is it possible

[@Maverick0420]

SpaceX is lame

[@SpacemanTarian42]

I feel you man. I kinda feel the same but just that their is hardly any variety in launches due to Falcon 9 any more. I used to enjoy seeing mostly Atlas V launches but their where so many configurations and even then Atlas V didnt dominate the market to the extent SpaceX does. Now its just the same old Falcon 9 going up all the time.

[@lspringerjones]

@@SpacemanTarian42 You say that like it's a bad thing.