American rocket forced to stay on the ground 3 seconds before takeoff

United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral, July 30, 2020. -

The launch of a space company United Launch Alliance (ULA) rocket was finally canceled on Saturday, just three seconds before the scheduled time.

No details have yet been communicated on the reasons for this failure, reports

.

Less media-oriented than some other space agencies, like Space X, ULA is a company co-owned by Boeing and which is in charge of designing launchers for the American state.

The launch was to be operated by the Delta launcher from the base at Cape Canaveral.

A mission that was to launch a spy satellite

While the announcer of the live on YouTube had already announced the takeoff, the Delta IV Heavy rocket never took off.

The mission, called NROL44, was to put into orbit a satellite of the NRO, the American intelligence agency in charge of satellites and space espionage.

But take-off could not take place for reasons still unknown and which will certainly never be communicated.

This failure was strongly criticized by some experts, in particular for the reluctance of the ULA to cancel the mission, the decision having been taken only three seconds before takeoff when the engines had already had time to ignite.

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