spacetoday.net: Delta 4 launches NRO satellite from California

Delta 4 launches NRO satellite from California

Posted: Wed, Jun 28, 2006, 7:58 AM ET (1158 GMT)
Delta 4 launch of NROL-22 from Vandenberg (Boeing)

A Delta 4 launched a classified National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) satellite late Tuesday evening, the first launch for that vehicle from California. The Delta 4 Medium-Plus (4,2) lifted off from SLC-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 11:33 pm EDT Tuesday (0333 GMT Wednesday), placing into orbit an NRO payload identified only as NROL-22. No other details about the spacecraft and its mission were released. The launch is the first for the Delta 4 from California; previous launches took place from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The launch took place from a pad originally developed for the cancelled Air Force Manned Orbiting Laboratory project in the 1960s and later converted, but never used, for space shuttle launches.