The NROL-70 mission was launched on April 9 by the National Reconnaissance Office, which partnered with United Launch Alliance, the Space Systems Command and U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 45 for the effort.

The NRO said Tuesday that the objective of the mission is to deliver a national security payload into orbit, which would provide various users, including warfighters and intelligence analysts, with space-based information.

The launch marked the final use of the ULA-made Delta IV Heavy rocket, of which 12 have carried NRO missions.

The launch also marked the conclusion of the Delta program itself, which began in the 1950s. The first Delta space vehicle took flight in 1960.

The NROL-70 mission took off from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

NASA has released the first volume of its Space Sustainability Strategy, which aims to integrate—with the help of a new director of space sustainability—the efforts that the agency’s various components have developed to ensure that the space operating environment is preserved to benefit future generations.

NASA said Tuesday that the first volume of the strategy focuses on Earth orbit while future volumes will focus on three other operational domains under the agency’s space sustainability paradigm, namely Earth, cislunar space and deep space.

The strategy was necessitated by emerging commercial space capabilities, which have resulted in growing spacecraft congestion and increased space debris.

According to NASA Deputy Administrator and 2023 Wash100 awardee Pam Melroy, “If we want to make sure that critical parts of space are preserved so that our children and grandchildren can continue to use them for the benefit of humanity, the time to act is now.”

Regarding the release of the strategy, Melroy said, “NASA is making sure that we’re aligning our resources to support sustainable activity for us and for all.”

The strategy was developed with the help of a cross-agency advisory board.