NRO satellite successfully launched aboard Atlas V
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13, 2008
CONTACT: (703) 808-5050
A National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) payload was successfully launched aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) from Space Launch Complex 3E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on March 13, 2008 at 03:02 a.m. PDT. This is the first Atlas V launch from Vandenberg AFB.
“Today’s successful launch was the direct result of the dedication and excellence of the hard-working NRO, Air Force and ULA team,” said Col. John Stizza, Director of the NRO Office of Space Launch and NRO Mission Director. “This is NRO’s third Atlas V launch and Vandenberg’s first launch from the modified SLC-3E.”
The NRO develops and operates unique and innovative overhead reconnaissance systems and conducts intelligence-related activities essential for U.S. national security. This launch directly supports NRO’s goals of being the foundation for global situational awareness and for providing intelligence information on timelines responsive to user needs.
