A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket launched in April from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, with AR Tech supporting the mission with its multilayer and single-layer insulation blankets.
Based in Fontana, Calif., AR Tech is a division of A&R Tarpaulins Inc. The company fabricates the insulation blankets for the liquid hydrogen tanks, as well as liquid oxygen insulation blankets for the rocket, which are essential for a successful launch.
Through this work, AR Tech supports U.S. national security by making space launch for important payloads possible. This rocket was carrying the NROL-82 mission, a classified satellite, for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
“Protecting American national security means having the ability to launch important payloads into space,” said Bud Weisbart, owner of A&R Tarpaulins, in a press release. “AR Tech is proud to do our part to support the Department of Defense and the Space Force by manufacturing blankets for ULA’s Delta IV rocket.”
The Delta IV Heavy is recognized for delivering high-priority missions for the U.S. Space Force, NRO and NASA. The vehicle also launched NASA’s Orion capsule on its first orbital test flight and sent the Parker Solar Probe on its journey to become the fastest spacecraft in history while surfing through the sun’s atmosphere.
“We are honored to launch another successful mission for the NRO,” said Tory Bruno, president and CEO of United Launch Alliance. “The Delta IV Heavy has been America’s national security workhorse for decades, and we are proud of its track record of 100 percent mission success, and thankful that AR Tech has partnered with us to build critical national security infrastructure.”