Name: NROL-1 (Quasar 15) — Atlas IIAS
Start: 2004-08-31T23:17:00Z
End: 2004-08-31T23:17:00Z
Location: Launch Complex 36A

Question 1

What rocket is launching NROL-1 (Quasar 15)?

Accepted Answer

NROL-1 (Quasar 15) is launching on the Atlas IIAS.

Question 2

Who is launching NROL-1 (Quasar 15)?

Accepted Answer

NROL-1 (Quasar 15) is being launched by Lockheed Martin, a commercial launch provider founded in 1953.

Question 3

Where is NROL-1 (Quasar 15) launching from?

Accepted Answer

NROL-1 (Quasar 15) is launching from Launch Complex 36A at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is NROL-1 (Quasar 15) heading to?

Accepted Answer

NROL-1 (Quasar 15) is heading to Geostationary Orbit (Direct-GEO).

Question 5

Is the Atlas IIAS reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Atlas IIAS is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Atlas IIAS flown?

Accepted Answer

The Atlas IIAS has launched 30 times to date, with 30 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the NROL-1 (Quasar 15) mission?

Accepted Answer

63rd and last flight of Atlas IIAS. 576th and final launch of Rocketdyne-powered Atlas rockets. Final launch from LC36A after 42 years of use. Launch delayed from June 24 and 25, July 1 and 27, August 27, 28, 29 and 30. The payload was probably a communications satellite used to relay data from imaging spy satellites.

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

NROL-1 (Quasar 15)

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Launch Complex 36A

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions