The Titan IV B-30 lifts off from the Cape. (Photo by Pat Corkery, Lockheed Martin Space Systems)

Titan IV Launch Marks End of an Era

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (4/29/05) -- The Aerospace Corporation supported the launch of Titan IV B-30 carrying a National Reconnaissance Office payload Friday, April 29. The vehicle lifted off at 8:50 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

“The vehicle lifted off right at the beginning of the window. A quick-look data review showed no significant anomalies or issues,” said Ray Johnson, vice president of Space Launch Operations for The Aerospace Corporation. Johnson also reported that this was the 41st successful consecutive launch. The record is 42 successful launches.

“We really need to recognize and thank our Titan people at the Cape, Johnson said. "This was their last Titan launch and they really made it a very good one.”

This was a historic and final Titan launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There have been 168 Titans launched from the Cape since 1959. The last Titan in the inventory, B-26, is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in July 2005.

The Aerospace Corporation, based in El Segundo, Calif., is an independent, nonprofit company that provides objective technical analyses and assessments for national security space programs and selected civil and commercial space programs in the national interest.