AIAA Space 2012 Conference United Launch Alliance - Delivering Perfectly on the NRO's Most Aggressive Launch Schedule in Over 25 Years

摘要

On the 14~(th) of April, 2011, an Atlas V roared off its launch pad from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and successfully delivered into orbit the NROL-34 payload. This represented the final mission in a five-mission/seven-month aggressive launch campaign for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). This was a remarkable achievement, and in order to make it happen, United Launch Alliance (ULA), in partnership with industry and customer, had to integrate and launch the first Delta IV Heavy vehicle from the West coast and simultaneously process launch vehicles on three launch pads on the East and West coasts. This paper will discuss the recipe of Mission Success that led to delivering perfectly on the NRO's most aggressive launch schedule in over 25 years.