Delta IV Heavy rocket takes to the skies one last time in breathtaking launch: photos

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying a classified spy satellite blasted off from Space Launch Complex 37B at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, at 12:53pm on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. ULA transported the cargo for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.

This is the final flight of a Delta IV heavy rocket. It was the world’s third highest-capacity launch vehicle, behind NASA’s Space Launch System and SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy.