After Nearly 64 Years, Delta Rockets Come To An End

Delta IV Heavy launch

The penultimate Delta IV Heavy was launched from Cape Canaveral SFS on June 22, 2023, for the NROL-68 mission, setting the stage for the program’s completion with the NROL-70 launch on the last Delta IV Heavy on April 9.

Credit: United Launch Alliance
What began as the U.S. Air Force’s first operational ballistic missile ended more than six decades of service as one of the country’s oldest and most reliable space launch vehicles with a final flight for the National Reconnaissance Office. The last Delta IV Heavy rocket lifted off from Cape...
Irene Klotz

Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral. Before joining Aviation Week in 2017, Irene spent 25 years as a wire service reporter covering human and robotic spaceflight, commercial space, astronomy, science and technology for Reuters and United Press International.

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