The Atlas V launch has been delayed for safety precautions in an effort to shield the rocket and payload from any effects of Hurricane Idalia. When a brand new launch date is announced, it would happen from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The Atlas V shall be launching a secretive payload, NROL 107 / Silentbarker, for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and the US Space Force.
The sun sets and rises over the #AtlasV 551 rocket that can launch #SILENTBARKER / #NROL107, a joint @NatReconOfc and @SpaceForceDoD capability to enhance space domain awareness. Launch is tomorrow, Aug. 29 at 8:34 a.m. EDT (1234 UTC).
Live updates: https://t.co/Ai6FpF9555 pic.twitter.com/h2oUpb5JKH
— ULA (@ulalaunch) August 28, 2023
With Hurricane Idalia approaching Florida bringing widespread storms and robust winds across a majority of the state, including the Space Coast. ULA decided yesterday evening to make the choice to roll the Atlas V back to the Vertical Integration Facility to guard it from the storm.
Once the hurricane is evident of Florida and teams move the rocket back to the launch pad, it would send the NRO payload on an Easterly trajectory which is about all we’ll discover because the NRO doesn’t give specifics regarding its secretive payloads. It is probably going that satellite spotters will locate the payload days after the launch, which shall be concerning the only confirmation that’s given regarding its orbit.
The rocket launching this mission is essentially the most powerful variant of the Atlas V, the 551, it features 1 Russian-made RD-180 engine with dual nozzles and 5 strap-on GEM-63 solid rocket boosters built by Northrop Grumman and a 5-meter fairing.
![](https://www.teslarati.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/53140497092_5a122b0748_k.jpg)
The fairing of the Atlas V with NRO payloads inside (Credit United Launch Alliance)
This shall be the ultimate Atlas V mission for the National Reconnaissance Office, previously successfully launching 17 payloads to orbit.
This mission, the primary Atlas V of the 12 months, 2nd total for United Launch Alliance, is a little bit of an unexpected lull for the corporate. They were able to launch the Starliner capsule to the ISS earlier this 12 months, but that mission is now delayed indefinitely as Boeing works through issues on the capsule.
The corporate was also planning on launching the alternative to the Atlas V, the Vulcan rocket, earlier this 12 months, but it surely was also hit with delays after a test of the 2nd stage went fallacious and exploded on the test stand. ULA still plans to get that launch off the bottom in Q4 of this 12 months.