The final Delta IV Heavy rocket may launch on March 29 from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command said on March 28 that the rocket was unable to launch Thursday “due to an issue with the gaseous nitrogen pipeline, which provides pneumatic pressure to the launch vehicle systems.”
The new launch time is early afternoon on March 29.
Tory Bruno, the CEO of Delta IV-maker United Launch Alliance (ULA) said on X on the afternoon of March 28 that the “pump has been repaired” and that ULA is “on track for tomorrow’s window.”
ULA is a partnership between Boeing [BA] and Lockheed Martin [LMT].
The last Delta IV Heavy is to lift the National Reconnaissance Office’s (NRO) NROL-70 into orbit.
In September 2019, ULA received a nearly $1.2 billion Air Force/NRO award for five NRO missions–NROL-44, NROL-82, NROL-91, NROL-68 and NROL-70 (Defense Daily, Oct. 1, 2019).
The Delta IV Heavy has three RS-68 engines by L3Harris Technologies [LHX], formerly Aerojet Rocketdyne. The engines can reach temperatures of more than 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit during launch, according to industry estimates.