US to launch new optical-electronic reconnaissance satellite into orbit

A United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Heavy rocket is scheduled to launch a National Reconnaissance Office mission September 24 from Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, Report informs referring to SpaceNews.

This will be Delta 4’s final launch from the West Coast. ULA is under contract to launch two more missions on the Delta 4 Heavy in 2023 and 2024, but will fly those from Cape Canaveral, Florida, after which the vehicle will be retired.

After completing the NROL-91 mission, ULA plans to start vacating the pad, known as Space Launch Complex-6. The company’s future vehicle, Vulcan Centaur, will launch from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Complex-3, from which ULA currently flies its Atlas 5 rocket.

During a call with reporters, Col. Bryan Titus, vice commander for Space Launch Delta 30 at Vandenberg, said range officials are in active discussions with launch companies to try to get a new tenant for SLC-6.

Space Launch Delta 30 is the Space Force unit that operates the Vandenberg range.