United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches CLIO Satellite

At 8:10 p.m. EDT last evening the secretive CLIO satellite was launched for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company onboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral in Florida. The satellite belongs to an undisclosed agency of the United States government.
The Atlas V was the 401 configuration vehicle variant which includes a 4-meter-diameter payload fairing. The Atlas booster for this mission was powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 engine, and the Centaur upper stage was powered by a single Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10A engine.

“It is an honor to work with Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company and all of our mission partners to launch this very important satellite,” said Jim Sponnick, ULA vice president, Atlas and Delta Programs. “Today’s launch marks ULA’s 11th successful mission this year and the 88th successful mission since ULA was formed in December 2006, a true testament to the teams focus on mission success, one launch at a time.”