Delta IV to Launch NROL-47
A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Rocket is targeting liftoff on Friday, January 12 from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base on a classified mission in support of the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, carrying into orbit the NROL-47 satellite. Due to the unique launch azimuth into a retrograde orbit, NROL-47 can be identified with fair certainty as belonging to the NRO's radar reconnaissance system, likely representing the fifth Topaz satellite but aiming for a slightly different orbit than its predecessors.
Live Video by United Launch Alliance
| Launch Date: January 12, 2018 | Launch Updates |
| Window: 21:00-01:00 UTC | Identifying NROL-47 |
| Launch Site: SLC-6, Vandenberg Air Force Base | Delta IV Launch Vehicle |
| Launch Vehicle: Delta IV M+(5,2) | Countdown Timeline |
| Payload: NROL-47 | ULA Archive |
| Ascent Duration: Approx. 90 Minutes | |
| Orbit: ~1,500km, 109° (Topaz 1-4: 1,100km, 123°) |
