Boeing-Lockheed JV Rocket Carrying NRO Payload; Jim Sponnick, Bruce Carlton Comment

A United Launch Alliance rocket carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office took off Wednesday morning from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., ULA announced Wednesday.

ULA is a 50-50 joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

Since August 2002, the Air Force has conducted 50 Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle missions, including 31 Atlas V and 19 Delta IV missions, said Jim Sponnick, ULA vice president for mission operations.

Twelve of the 50 EELV launches have been NRO missions, said NRO Director Bruce Carlson.

According to Military Times, the webcast of the launch was cut off five minutes after liftoff due to the secret nature of the payload aboard.

The ULA and NRO have another launch scheduled for June 28 from the Florida Air Force Station.

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