Air Force and its mission partners successfully launch NROL -71

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  • SMC Public Affairs

The U.S. Air Force and its mission partners successfully launched the NROL-71 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office aboard a Delta IV Heavy from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.  Liftoff occurred at ­­ 11:10 a.m. PST, Jan. 19.

The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center acquired NROL-71’s launch services from United Launch Alliance and applied rigorous mission assurance processes from the launch vehicle’s production through liftoff to ensure mission success.

Located at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, SMC is the U.S. Air Force's center of excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems.  Its portfolio includes space launch, global positioning, military space vehicle communications, defense meteorological space vehicles, range systems, space vehicle control networks, space-based infrared systems and space situational awareness capabilities.

Media representatives can submit questions for response regarding this topic by sending an e-mail to smcpa.media@us.af.mil.