Rocket/Payload: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 will launch the NROL-55 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).



Date/Site/Launch Time: Thursday, Oct. 8 2015, from Space Launch Complex (SLC)-3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Launch is planned for 5:49 a.m. PDT.



Webcast: The live broadcast will start at 5:29 a.m. PDT.



Launch Notes: NROL-55 will be the 58th Atlas V mission since the vehicle’s inaugural launch in 2002. The mission is ULA’s 10th of 2015 and 101st since the company was founded in December 2006.



Mission Description: The mission will be launched for the National Reconnaissance Office in support of national defense.



Thirteen CubeSats also will launch aboard the Atlas V aboard the NRO’s Government Rideshare Advanced Concepts Experiment (GRACE) auxiliary payload. Nine of the CubeSats are sponsored by the NRO, and four are sponsored by NASA. The GRACE payloads will be delivered to space on the Aft Bulkhead Carrier, located on the rear of the Centaur upper stage. Additional GRACE CubeSat information can be found on the NRO website.



Launch Updates: To keep up to speed with updates to the launch countdown, dial the ULA launch hotline at 1-877-852-4321 or join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch, twitter.com/ulalaunch and instagram.com/ulalaunch; hashtags #NROL55 and #AtlasV.

Go Atlas! Go Centaur! Go NROL-55!