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NROL-36 Mission Badge (Credit ULA)
The Atlas V waiting to launch the top-secret NROL-36 spy satellite has slipped once again from Sept 6th to Sept 13th. This delay is due to logistical availability of the launch range and not to any technical fault with either the rocket, the payload or the launch pad.
The official delay communication from ULA states:
The launch of an Atlas V carrying the National Reconnaissance Office NROL-36 payload is being rescheduled. The NROL-36 mission leadership has established a new launch date of Sept. 13 and a request for this new launch date on the range has been submitted to the 30th Space Wing. The previously planned launch date of Sept. 6 was not available on the range and mission managers have elected to revise the launch date to Sept. 13 as preferred for overall operational considerations. The team working to implement the corrective actions for the range issue with the Mission Flight Control Center (MFCC) is currently finalizing the implementation, test and certification of the MFCC corrective actions. There are no issues being worked with either the Atlas V vehicle or the NROL-36 space vehicle and they remain secured in the Mobile Service Tower at Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
