Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Delta 4-Heavy rocket with the classified NROL-44 payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. Text updates will appear automatically below. Follow us on Twitter. United Launch Alliance’s live launch broadcast begins at 1:52 a.m. EDT (0552 GMT) Thursday, Aug. 27.
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Mission Reports
Chinese Long March 6 rocket delivers nine small satellites to space
Nine small Chinese satellites, including a technology experiment to test out ways to capture space debris, rode a Long March 6 rocket into orbit April 27 on a rideshare mission managed by China Great Wall Industry Corp., the government-owned enterprise charged with selling Chinese launch services on the commercial market.