NEXTSat , or Next Generation Satellite and Commodities Spacecraft ( NEXTSat/CSC ) was an American technology demonstration satellite which was operated as part of the Orbital Express programme. It was used as a target spacecraft for a demonstration of autonomous servicing and refueling operations performed by the ASTRO satellite. Launched in March 2007, it was operated for four months, and then deactivated in orbit.
98-638: NEXTSat was launched by United Launch Alliance on an Atlas V 401 rocket; serial number AV-013. The launch occurred at 03:10 UTC on 9 March 2007, from Space Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station . The launch was contracted by the Space Test Program to launch the STPSat-1 spacecraft, and was named STP-1. It also deployed ASTRO; as well as FalconSAT-3 , CFESat and MidSTAR-1 . The launch marked
196-635: A Confederate army under the command of General John Bell Hood briefly sparred with a vastly outmanned garrison during the 1864 Battle of Decatur , when the city was referred to as "A Tough Nut to Crack." While the city was under Confederate control, plans for the Battle of Shiloh were mapped out within the Burleson-Hinds-McEntire House. These activities make the house one of the most historic buildings in Decatur. New Decatur
294-599: A Cygnus cargo capsule in 2017. The weather satellite NOAA-20 (JPSS-1) was launched by a Delta II rocket in November 2017. An Atlas V carried the SBIRS-GEO 4 military satellite in January 2018. The Atlas V's launch of NASA 's InSight to Mars in 2018 was the first interplanetary probe to depart from the U.S. West Coast. In August 2018, a Delta IV Heavy launched Parker Solar Probe , NASA's solar space probe that
392-658: A Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) satellite, the Juno spacecraft and Curiosity rover. The Delta II launches placed the SAC-D and Suomi NPP satellites into orbit, as well as two spacecraft associated with NASA's GRAIL lunar mission. Delta IV launches carried the NROL-49 , NROL-27 , and another GPS satellite. ULA's 2012 launches included six Atlas Vs and four Delta IVs. The Atlas system carried Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) and AEHF satellites, another Boeing X-37,
490-491: A 5-year period beginning in 2024. The Vulcan Centaur was originally slated to conduct its maiden flight in 2019, however was delayed repeatedly. The inaugural flight occurred on January 8, 2024, successfully sending the Peregrine lunar lander into orbit toward the moon. This launch was intended to allow Astrobotic Technology to conduct five lunar experiments for NASA. ULA completed a second test flight, named Cert-2, of
588-670: A 50/50 joint venture , United Launch Alliance (ULA), to consolidate their space launch operations. The two companies had long competed for launch services contracts from the DoD, and their Atlas and Delta rockets were the two launch vehicles selected under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. The DoD had hoped the program would foster the creation of a strong, competitive commercial launch market. However, both companies said that this competition had made space launches unprofitable. Boeing's future in
686-510: A July daily average temperature of 79.6 °F (26.4 °C). There are 51–52 days of 90 °F (32 °C)+ highs annually and 1.7 days of 100 °F (38 °C)+ highs. Thunderstorms are common during the summer months. The latter part of summer tends to be drier. Autumn, which spans from mid-September to early-December, tends to be similar to spring in terms of temperature and precipitation, although it begins relatively dry. Precipitation averages about 53.4 inches per year and on average,
784-405: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket into a stable parking orbit . During the next hour, the second stage reignited to place Lucy on an interplanetary trajectory in a heliocentric orbit on a twelve-year mission to two groups of Sun-Jupiter Lagrange point Trojan asteroids as well as a close flyby of a mainbelt asteroid during one of three planned passes through the asteroid belt . If
882-470: A female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.99. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
980-470: A female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.99. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
1078-585: A ferry that crossed the Tennessee River in the 1810s at the present-day location of Rhodes Ferry Park. The city was incorporated as Decatur in 1821. It was named in honor of Stephen Decatur ; after he was killed in a duel in 1820, President Monroe directed that the Alabama town be named for him. In the early 1830s, Decatur was the eastern terminus of the Tuscumbia, Courtland and Decatur Railroad ,
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#17327879364261176-845: A launch of the Atlas V rocket on 22 March 2016 , a minor first-stage anomaly led to shutdown of the first-stage engine approximately five seconds before anticipated. The Centaur upper stage was able to compensate by firing for approximately one minute longer than planned using its reserved fuel margin. Atlas V rockets carried MUOS-5 in June 2016, NROL-61 satellites in July 2016, and the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft in September 2016. ULA launched multiple satellites in late 2016. The weather satellite Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R)
1274-553: A maximum liftoff thrust of 3,800,000 pounds-force (17,000 kN), enabling it to carry 56,000 pounds (25,000 kg) to low Earth orbit , 33,000 lb (15,000 kg) to a geostationary transfer orbit , and 16,000 lb (7,300 kg) to geostationary orbit . The Vulcan first stage is the same size as the Delta family's Common Booster Core , uses two BE-4 engines built by Blue Origin and fueled by liquid oxygen and liquid methane (liquefied natural gas). The second stage
1372-555: A next-generation launch vehicle. The company's high cost to launch left the company with few commercial and civil satellite launch customers, and increasingly reliant on U.S. military and spy agency contracts. After the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 , Congress passed a law in 2016 that prohibited the military from procuring additional launch services on vehicles that use the RD-180 engine after 2022. To reduce costs, ULA undertook
1470-533: A point of discussion, particularly as the EELV program experienced a cost breach in 2012. ULA was awarded a DoD contract in December 2013 to provide 36 rocket cores for up to 28 launches. The award drew protest from SpaceX , which said the cost of ULA's launches were approximately US$ 460 million each and proposed a price of US$ 90 million to provide similar launches. In response, Gass said ULA's average launch price
1568-503: A population, conservatively estimated at 5,000−10,000 people (not including their families), to the area surrounding Redstone Arsenal . Approval of the United Launch Alliance combined Lockheed-Martin and Boeing 's rocket manufacturing contracts to a central location at the plant in Decatur. All satellite launching rockets used by the U.S. government will be built in Decatur. This approval brought over 230 new jobs to
1666-472: A short hill that overlooks the Tennessee River; this creates a very steep dropoff to the river shore at Rhodes Ferry Park. This hill allows the "Steamboat Bill" Memorial Bridge to leave the mainland at grade without any major sloping required to cross the river while not interfering with Decatur's heavy barge traffic. This hill extends from the banks of the river about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south to
1764-518: A significant restructuring to streamlining operations by eventually consolidating from five launchpads to two, and reducing its workforce from 3,600 to 2,500 by 2018. To develop a new engine, ULA announced it would be partnering with Blue Origin to develop the BE-4 . The company also announced the Vulcan, a next-generation launch vehicle, to be funded through a public-private partnership. Bruno believed
1862-612: A space launch monopoly. The Federal Trade Commission ultimately granted ULA anti-trust clearance, prioritizing national security access to space over potential competition concerns. Michael Gass was announced as the first CEO of ULA and oversaw the merger of the two groups. Production was consolidated into one central plant in Decatur, Alabama while all engineering was moved into a facility in Littleton, Colorado . The parent companies retained responsibility for marketing and sales of
1960-645: A top secret spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office, on board their Atlas V in a 531 configuration. This launch was notable because it was the first flight of the GEM-63 solid rocket boosters, a version of which will be used on their Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle. On 18 May 2021, the SBIRS GEO 5 missile-warning satellite was launched on an Atlas V 421 rocket. The Lucy spaceflight began on 16 October 2021 upon launch aboard
2058-457: A unique Atlas V configuration: two solid rocket boosters, no payload fairing, and a dual-engine Centaur second stage for a shallower launch profile and reduced crew G-forces. This configuration stands 172 feet tall, and ULA was contracted for nine Starliner missions with Atlas V. The Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) provides the second stage boost for the initial configuration (Block 1) of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS). The ICPS design
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#17327879364262156-457: Is an American launch service provider formed in December 2006 as a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space & Security . The company designs, assembles, sells and launches rockets, but the company subcontracts out the production of rocket engines and solid rocket boosters . When founded, the company inherited the Atlas rocket family from Lockheed Martin and
2254-691: Is in the process of being retired. ULA began development of the Vulcan Centaur in 2014 as replacement for both the Atlas and Delta rocket families. The Vulcan Centaur is a heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by ULA integrating technology from both its prior Atlas and Delta rocket families along with advancements. Vulcan has been designed to meet the requirements of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program and be capable of achieving human-rating certification to allow
2352-417: Is land and 6.426 square miles (16.64 km ), is water. Decatur is 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Huntsville, 86 miles (138 km) north of Birmingham , and 44 miles (71 km) east of Muscle Shoals . Decatur has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa ) with four distinct seasons. Winters are generally mild, with a January daily average temperature of 40.6 °F (4.8 °C). On average,
2450-589: Is located in northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake along the Tennessee River . The population was 57,938 at the 2020 census . Decatur is the core city of the two-county large Decatur metropolitan area , with an estimated population of 157,425 in 2022. Combined with the Huntsville Metropolitan Area , the two create the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area , of which Decatur
2548-419: Is relatively (and uniformly) heavy from November to July, with December the single wettest month on average; August through October are slightly drier months on average. Occasionally, severe thunderstorms occur. These storms can produce damaging winds and large hail in addition to the usual hazards of lightning and very heavy rain. There is also the risk of tornadoes . Severe thunderstorms can occur at any time of
2646-697: Is the Centaur V , an improved version of the Centaur III used on the Atlas, which is powered by two RL10 engines built by Aerojet Rocketdyne , fueled by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The first stage can be supplemented by up to six GEM 63XL solid rocket boosters built by Northrop Grumman . ULA is investigating a way to partially reuse its launch vehicles with the Sensible Modular Autonomous Return Technology (SMART) system. This system envisions jettisoning
2744-648: Is the oldest hot air balloon race south of the Kentucky Derby 's Great Balloon Race (from 1973). With visiting populations rising to 100,000, people crowd around more than 60 seven-story-tall balloons as they inflate. Because of the Alabama Jubilee, Decatur has been named "The Ballooning Capital of Alabama" by the Alabama State Legislature. The Spirit of America Festival is one of the largest free Fourth of July festivals in
2842-528: Is the second-largest city. Like many southern cities in the early 19th century, Decatur's early success was based upon its location along a river. Railroad routes and boating traffic pushed the city to the front of North Alabama's economic atmosphere. The city rapidly grew into a large economic center within the Tennessee Valley and was a hub for travelers and cargo between Nashville and Mobile , as well as Chattanooga and New Orleans . Throughout
2940-717: The GeoEye-1 satellite was orbited by a Delta II rocket. ULA completed eight Delta II, five Atlas V, and three Delta IV launches in 2009. The Delta II launches carried three Space Tracking and Surveillance System satellites over two launches, two Global Positioning System satellites, and the NOAA-19 and WorldView-2 satellites, as well as the Kepler and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer space telescopes. The Atlas launches carried
3038-440: The 2020 census , there were 57,938 people, 23,570 households, and 14,864 families residing in the city. There were 25,351 housing units. As of the 2010 census , there were 55,683 people, 22,576 households, and 14,918 families residing in the city. The population density was 953.5 inhabitants per square mile (368.1/km ). There were 24,538 housing units at an average density of 420.2 per square mile (162.2/km ). The racial makeup of
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3136-704: The Artemis I , II , and III missions. Following these missions, the ICPS will be replaced by the Exploration Upper Stage built by Boeing. Delta II was an expendable launch system that was originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas , and was later built by Boeing prior to the formation of ULA. Delta II was part of the Delta rocket family and entered service in 1989. ULA flew thirty missions using Delta II starting in 2006. Delta II vehicles included
3234-708: The Celebration Arena near Priceville, the celebration draws up to 75,000 fans and competitors each year. The Riverfest barbeque cook-off at Ingalls Harbor is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society and attracts competitors from across the country. Beginning in 1995, the festival has previously been selected as a top ten tourist event in the State of Alabama, festival goers can expect live, nationally known musical acts, children's activities, and award-winning barbeque. Proceeds benefit
3332-635: The Delta rocket family from Boeing. As of 2024, the Delta family has been retired and the Atlas V is in the process of being retired. ULA began development of the Vulcan Centaur in 2014 as replacement for both the Atlas and Delta rocket families. The Vulcan Centaur completed its maiden flight in January 2024. The primary customers of ULA are the Department of Defense (DoD) and NASA , but it also serves commercial clients. Boeing and Lockheed Martin announced on 2 May 2005 that they would establish
3430-545: The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity suggests that the economic impact of Bass Pro Shops is typically limited despite the large subsidies the company often receives. Tourism is a major part of Decatur's economy. Hundreds of thousands of people from in and out of town and from many other countries and territories attend some of the premier festivals in the South. The Alabama Jubilee , begun in 1978,
3528-847: The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and LCROSS mission as part of the Lunar Precursor Robotic Program , which was later intentionally crashed into the Moon and found the existence of water; other 2009 Atlas V launches in included Intelsat 14 , WGS-2 , PAN , and a weather satellite as part of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). The Delta IV rockets carried the NROL-26 , GOES 14 , and WGS-3 satellites. In 2010, Atlas V launches deployed
3626-488: The RL10 engine burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The first stage can be supplemented by up to five AJ-60A or GEM 63 solid rocket boosters. The Atlas V has undergone modifications for human spaceflight, specifically for Boeing's Starliner capsule. These modifications include upgraded computers for monitoring and abort capabilities, data links, and manual abort mechanisms for the crew. Notably, Starliner missions use
3724-664: The Secretariat of Communications and Transportation . The classified NROL-55 satellite was launched by an Atlas V rocket several days later. Atlas V rockets launched GPS Block IIF satellites and the Cygnus cargo spacecraft in November 2015 and December 2015, respectively. In 2016, Delta IV rockets carried the NROL-45 satellite and Air Force Space Command 6 mission in February 2016 and August 2016, respectively. During
3822-668: The Solar Dynamics Observatory , the first Boeing X-37B , the first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite, and the NROL-41 . The Delta II system placed the last COSMO-SkyMed and Delta IV launches deployed the GOES 15 , GPS Block IIF , and USA-223 satellites. ULA completed eleven launches in 2011, including five by Atlas, three by Delta II, and three by Delta IV. The Atlas system orbited another Boeing X-37, two NROL-34 signals intelligence satellites,
3920-601: The Tennessee Valley Authority . Decatur is also known as the "Home of Meow Mix ", after the company bought a 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m ) facility in town, and now utilizes its riverfront property to ship the finished product up and down the Tennessee River. Being part of the Huntsville-Decatur CSA , the city lies within the region having the most engineers per capita in the nation. A recent BRAC Base realignment will bring
4018-511: The poverty line , including 21.2% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over. Decatur has grown to be the busiest river port on the Tennessee River. The Port of Decatur sees large amounts of barge traffic from up and down the Tennessee River, which has led to twelve Fortune 500 companies opening plants in the city. Major employers include General Electric , 3M , Wayne Farms , United Launch Alliance , Nucor , Bunge Limited , Daikin , Hyosung , Ascend Performance Materials , and
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4116-404: The poverty line , including 28.3% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2000 census , there were 53,929 people, 21,824 households, and 14,753 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,009.7 inhabitants per square mile (389.8/km ). There were 23,950 housing units at an average density of 448.4 per square mile (173.1/km ). The racial makeup of the city
4214-470: The "551" and "N22" remain operational. Born from the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, the Atlas V's first successful launch took place in 2002. This expendable launch system utilizes a two-stage design. The first stage, named the Common Core Booster , uses a single Russian-made RD-180 engine, fueled by kerosene and liquid oxygen. The second stage, a Centaur III powered by
4312-483: The 14th St./Magnolia St. intersection with 6th Avenue ( US 31 ). South past the 14th St. and 6th Ave. intersection, land remains flat. South, and also west, past S.R. 67 there are a few minor ridges that sit within the city limits. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 61.020 square miles (158.04 km ), of which 54.594 square miles (141.40 km )
4410-481: The 20th century, the city experienced steady growth but was eclipsed as the regional economic center by the fast-growing Huntsville during the space race . Decatur now finds its economy heavily based on manufacturing, mining, cargo transit, chemical, and high-tech companies such as Vulcan Materials , Daikin , Toray , and United Launch Alliance . Initially, the area was known as "Rhodes Ferry Landing", named for Dr. Henry W. Rhodes, an early landowner who operated
4508-563: The ASTRO and NEXTSat spacecraft were separated, and ASTRO performed a separation burn. On 21 July 2007, NEXTSat was deactivated. As of 2007, it was expected to remain in orbit until around 2012. The satellite decayed from orbit on 21 April 2023. This article about one or more spacecraft of the United States is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . United Launch Alliance United Launch Alliance, LLC ( ULA )
4606-492: The BE-4 engines and avionics as a single unit which would be protected by an inflatable heat shield during its descent back to Earth. After being slowed by parachutes and splashing down in the ocean, the heat shield would double as a raft, and the engines and avionics module would be retrieved for refurbishment. ULA estimates that this approach could reduce the cost of producing the first stage of its rockets by 65%. Development of
4704-662: The Decatur area. The ULA plant utilizes the Tennessee River to ship the rockets to Cape Canaveral . In March 2008, a $ 1.3 billion development, including a Bass Pro Shops was announced for the Interstate 65 / Interstate 565 interchange inside the city limits. The development, named Sweetwater, would have included more than 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m ) of retail space, 825,000 square feet (76,600 m ) of medical and office space, 2,700 residences, and an entertainment venue with seating for up to 8,000 people. A school, fire department, parks and lakes were expected to support
4802-415: The Delta 6000 and the two later Delta 7000 variants ("Light" and "Heavy"). The rocket flew its final mission ICESat-2 on 15 September 2018. A nearly-complete Delta II, made from flight-qualified spare parts, is displayed in its 7320-10 configuration in the rocket garden at Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex . Delta IV is a group of five expendable launch systems in the Delta rocket family , which
4900-815: The Delta II; the Phoenix probe was launched to Mars in August 2007 and the Dawn satellite to was launched to the asteroids Vesta and Ceres in September 2007. Using a Delta II, the WorldView-1 satellite was also launched into a low Earth orbit on behalf of DigitalGlobe . The company's first launch to geostationary transfer orbit using an Atlas V 421 variant carrying the USA-195 (or WGS -1) communications satellite also occurred that year. ULA's tenth mission
4998-580: The Delta and Atlas rockets. Cost pressures led ULA to announce it would lay off 350 of its 4,200 workers in early 2009, and decommissioned two of its seven launch pads . ULA also joined and later left the Commercial Spaceflight Federation during this period. The introduction of lower-cost competition and rising ULA launch costs attracted scrutiny. ULA's reliance on government funding for launch readiness, including maintaining multiple launchpads and rocket variants, became
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#17327879364265096-654: The GPS III Magellan project. An Atlas V carried Boeing's Starliner Orbital Flight Test (OFT) mission for NASA in December 2019. In 2020, an Atlas V carried the Solar Orbiter spacecraft, an international collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA to provide a new global view of the Sun. In March 2020, an Atlas V also launched Advanced Extremely High Frequency 6 (AEHF-6),
5194-621: The Intruder and Quasar satellites, and the Van Allen Probes . Delta IVs deployed GPS and WGS satellites USA-233 , as well as NROL-25 and NROL-15 on behalf of the National Reconnaissance Office. In 2013, the Atlas flew eight times. The system launched the TDRS-11 , Landsat 8 , AEHF-3 , and NROL-39 satellites, as well as SBIRS, GPS, and MUOS satellites, as well as NASA's MAVEN space probe to Mars. Delta IV launches orbited
5292-561: The National Historic Register. The current mayor of Decatur is Tab Bowling, who was elected in 2016 The city has a five-member/district City Council. The current members are: There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, supervising schools, planning, downtown development, and so on. Past Decatur mayors include: In city elections (preliminary) on August 23, 2016, the preliminary election resulted in runoff of Don Kyle and Tab Bowling for Mayor with Jeremy Goforth, Reggie Jackson and Butch Matthews not receiving enough vote to make
5390-432: The South. More than 65,000 people arrive in Decatur to watch annual celebrations and the Miss Spirit of America beauty pageant. The contest was known as "Miss Point Mallard" from 1976 through 2013. It moved to the Princess Theatre in 2014. Another large event in Decatur and North Alabama, the Racking Horse World Celebration attracts horses from around the world to compete in the largest Racking Horse competition. Held in
5488-415: The U.S. Air Force. The U.S. Air Force's X-37B spaceplane was carried by an Atlas V rocket in May 2015, and a Delta IV orbited the WGS-7 satellite in July 2015. The fourth MUOS satellite was orbited by an Atlas V in September 2015. ULA's 100th consecutive successful liftoff was completed on 2 October 2015, when an Atlas V rocket orbited a Mexican Satellite System communications satellite on behalf of
5586-460: The Vulcan Centaur has been funded as a public–private partnership with the U.S. government contributing approximately US$ 1.2 billion toward initial development costs. Boeing and Lockheed Martin are expected to contribute the remaining cost of development, estimated at 75% of the cost, as of March 2018. The NSSL program purchased a prototype Vulcan launch in October 2018, and was awarded a contract in August 2020 to launch 60% of NSSL missions over
5684-603: The Vulcan Centaur on the morning of October 4, 2024 at Cape Canaveral. The Space Force will examine the flight data to determine if Vulcan Centaur will be certified for national security missions. Developed by Lockheed Martin and transitioned to ULA in 2006, the Atlas V has been ULA's primary launch vehicle for over two decades. However, the rocket is currently nearing retirement, with all remaining flights booked and no new orders accepted. As of July 2024, Atlas V has completed 101 missions, with 15 launches scheduled. The rocket has been offered in eleven configurations , though only
5782-408: The Vulcan would offer costs that would make it competitive in the commercial satellite sector. However, despite these cost-cutting measures, ULA launches continued to be more expensive than those offered by SpaceX. The company's joint bid with Dynetics to develop a lunar lander for NASA was rejected in 2021 with the agency calling the companies bid "low in readiness." The Delta family of rockets
5880-412: The area west of the CSX Railroad and south of Moulton Street. Northwest is bordered by Moulton Street, the CSX Railroad from Moulton Street to Lee Street and then by Bank Street from Lee Street to the Tennessee River. While there are few major cultural differences between the East and the West, minute differences such as street grid patterns, zoning patterns, and architectural styles are noticeable. As of
5978-408: The best new museums to open in the past two years. Cook Museum of Natural Science is the newspaper's only Alabama-based nominee. Delano Park - Founded in 1887, the 28 acre Delano Park (pronounced DELL-uh-no) is Morgan County's oldest city park in continuous operation and an oasis in the heart of historic Decatur. At 125 years old, the park is recognized as a designed historic landscape and is listed on
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#17327879364266076-408: The city was 66.5% White , 21.7% Black or African American , 0.7% Native American , 0.9% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 7.9% from other races , and 2.2% from two or more races. 12.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 22,576 households, out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 15.6% had
6174-400: The company announced that it was for sale. In December 2023, it was announced that Jeff Bezos was looking at purchasing the company to merge it with Blue Origin, which he also owns. When the joint venture was founded in 2006, ULA inherited the Atlas rocket family from Lockheed Martin and the Delta rocket family from Boeing. As of 2024, the Delta family has been retired and the Atlas V
6272-623: The edge of downtown, is the oldest bank building in the State of Alabama, being 190 years old. The first wave pool in the United States was built in Decatur and is still in operation at the Point Mallard Aquatic Center . The city has the largest Victorian-era home district in the state of Alabama. In the past, its industries included repair shops of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad , car works, engine works, bottling plants, and manufacturers of lumber, sashes and blinds, tannic acid, fertilizers, cigars, flour, cottonseed oil, and various other products. The Tennessee River has traditionally been
6370-417: The family to accommodate a range of payload sizes and masses; models includes Medium, which had four configurations, and the Heavy . Payloads that would previously fly on Medium moved to either Atlas V or Vulcan Centaur . Delta IV Heavy was the largest member of the Delta IV family. Boeing flew it on one mission prior to the formation of ULA, and ULA on fifteen missions from 2007 to 2024. Its final launch
6468-578: The fifth and sixth Wideband Global SATCOM satellites WGS-5 and WGS-6 , as well as NROL-65 . In 2014, ULA's Atlas V orbited the TDRS-12 communications satellite in January, the WorldView-3 commercial satellite in August 2014, and the CLIO communications satellite during September and October 2014. Atlas rockets also carried the satellites DMSP-5D-3/F19, NROL-67, NROL-33, and NROL-35. Delta IV rockets orbited GPS satellites and two Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program satellites, and in July 2014, NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2
6566-527: The first U.S. Space Force National Security Mission. In May 2020, ULA launched an Atlas V rocket carrying the USSF-7 mission with the X-37B spaceplane for the U.S Space Force and the mission honored victims of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as first responders , health professionals , military personnel, and other essential workers . On 30 July 2020, Atlas V in the 541 configuration successfully launched Perseverance and Ingenuity as part of Mars 2020 towards Mars. In November 2020, ULA launched NROL-101,
6664-408: The first railway built west of the Appalachian Mountains . In 1850, the Tuscumbia, Courtland and Decatur was incorporated into the Memphis & Charleston Railroad . Because of its location on the Tennessee River at the strategically important crossing of two major railroads, Decatur was the site of several encounters during the American Civil War . When the Union Army occupied the city early in
6762-521: The first time United Launch Alliance had launched an Atlas V, the type having previously been operated by International Launch Services . NEXTSat was a 224-kilogram (494 lb) spacecraft, which was built by Ball Aerospace around the RS-300 satellite bus . It was operated in low Earth orbit ; on 9 March 2007, it had a perigee of 490 kilometres (300 mi), an apogee of 498 kilometres (309 mi), 46.0 degrees of inclination , and an orbital period of 94.49 minutes. After completing operations,
6860-411: The future development. As of Spring 2010, this project still seems to be on the horizon, but there is no set date for the project to start. As of 2012, Bass Pro Shop has removed Decatur from its list of stores "Coming Soon" on its webpage. In 2013, Mayor Don Kyle announced that the "Sweet Water" complex was back on track, but has not announced whether Bass Pro Shops will be involved or not. Research from
6958-410: The launch of a vehicle such as the Boeing Starliner or Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser . The rocket was developed as ULA faced pressure to respond to growing competition from SpaceX and its reusable rockets and the need to phase out the RD-180 engine used on the Atlas V, which is built in Russia, and subject to international sanctions after the Russian invasion of Ukraine . The Vulcan Centaur has
7056-465: The local community including several charitable organizations. 2018 saw the opening of the Cook Museum of Natural Science located at 133 Fourth Avenue NE Decatur, Alabama 35601 and showcases a wide variety of native animal and plant species within a state of the art facility. Cook Museum of Natural Science has been nominated by USA Today in their 2020 10 Best Readers' Choice travel awards as one of
7154-448: The low temperature falls to the freezing mark or below on 59 days a year, and to or below 20 °F (−7 °C) on 9.2 days. Winters usually do not produce much snow; a large amount of snow is rare within the city limits. A small, measurable amount of snow can be experienced a few times each year. In 2011, Decatur received up to 8 inches (20 cm) of snow in a single storm. It tied for the most since 1963. Summers are hot and humid with
7252-512: The lowest recorded temperature was −19 °F (−28 °C) on January 30, 1966. Decatur is divided into four different regions of town (Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, Southwest). Southeast and Northeast Decatur lie east of the CSX Railroad's mainline. North of Lee Street, the dividing line is Bank Street which runs a block east of and parallel to the railroad. Northeast and Southeast and are divided by Moulton Street. Southwest consists of
7350-597: The northern border of the city and Morgan County, but a small portion of the city extends across the river into Limestone County between U.S. 31 and I-65. Major bodies of water in the city include Wheeler Lake on the Tennessee River itself, plus Flint Creek, and Dry Branch, tributaries of the Tennessee River. The city extends to the other side of Flint Creek and the Refuge in the Indian Hills and Burningtree subdivision areas. The northern portion of Decatur sits on top of
7448-491: The only major newspaper based in the Decatur Metropolitan Area since 1912, and one of the few family owned newspapers in Alabama. It has an average daily circulation of 20,824 and a Sunday circulation of 23,840. The paper circulates in the morning to an area that includes Morgan County , Lawrence County , and Limestone County , and parts of Cullman County , and Winston County . The Huntsville Times
7546-475: The program was also threatened in 2003 when it was found to be in possession of proprietary documents from Lockheed Martin. To end litigation and competition, both companies agreed to form the ULA joint venture. During the renewal of the EELV contract, the DoD said the merger would provide annual cost savings of $ 100–150 million. SpaceX attempted to challenge the merger on anti-trust grounds, saying it would create
7644-605: The runoff. Tab Bowling defeated Don Kyle (October 6, 2016) with 75% of the vote. Austin High and Decatur High are the two main high schools of the city. With the addition of the International Baccalaureate Program to Austin and Decatur High Schools, Decatur has become the first Alabama school system north of Birmingham and one of five in the state to offer the honors program for juniors and seniors (as of July 2006). The Decatur Daily has been
7742-481: The spacecraft remains operational during the 12-year planned duration, it is likely the controlled flight will be continued and directed at additional asteroid targets. Decatur, Alabama Decatur ( / d ɪ ˈ k eɪ t ə r / ) is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County (with a portion also in Limestone County ) in the U.S. state of Alabama . Nicknamed "The River City," it
7840-638: The two towns came from the need for a bridge, instead of a ferry, across the Tennessee River. The Decatur Kiwanis Club was formed with an equal number of members from each town to organize efforts to get the state to build the bridge. In 1925, the two cities merged to form one City of Decatur. There is a noticeable difference between the two sides of town. The cities developed differently at different times and still to this day have somewhat different cultures. Eastern portions of Decatur tend to act more suburban and traditional, while western portions tend to look more metropolitan and contemporary. The Old State Bank , on
7938-673: The war, the commanding general ordered all but four buildings in the town to be destroyed. Bricks from some of the churches in town were used to build stoves and chimneys for the buildings that housed soldiers. Three of the buildings that remained are still standing - the Old State Bank , the Dancy-Polk House , and the Burleson-Hinds-McEntire House . After the Union victory in the Battle of Atlanta ,
8036-518: The year, but are most common during the spring months. A secondary severe weather season peaks in November. Occasionally from July to October, the Decatur area experiences strong winds and/or heavy to excessive rain from tropical disturbances. These commonly make landfall along the Gulf Coast as hurricanes but lose intensity as they move inland. The highest recorded temperature was 108 °F (42 °C) on July 28, 1952, and August 16, 1954, while
8134-408: Was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 37,192, and the median income for a family was $ 47,574. Males had a median income of $ 37,108 versus $ 22,471 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 20,431. About 11.9% of families and 14.9% of the population were below
8232-410: Was 37.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 43,090, and the median income for a family was $ 55,158. Males had a median income of $ 42,146 versus $ 27,477 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 23,615. About 12.8% of families and 17.5% of the population were below
8330-406: Was 75.50% White , 19.56% Black or African American , 0.58% Native American , 0.70% Asian , 0.13% Pacific Islander , 2.22% from other races , and 1.33% from two or more races. 5.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 21,824 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 13.4% had
8428-503: Was April 9, 2024 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station . The Delta IV Heavy combined a 5 m (16 ft) diameter DCSS and payload fairing with two additional CBCs. These are strap-on boosters which are separated earlier in the flight than the center CBC. The 5 meter diameter composite fairing was standard on the Delta IV Heavy, with an aluminum isogrid fairing also available. The aluminum trisector (three-part) fairing
8526-475: Was US$ 225 million, with future launches as low as US$ 100 million. In a leadership change at ULA in August 2014, Tory Bruno assumed the CEO position, marking a new strategic direction for the company. Under Bruno's leadership, ULA was under pressure to reduce costs to better compete with SpaceX and its partially reusable rockets, replace its Russian-made RD-180 with more efficient western-made engines, and introduce
8624-404: Was a city that rose out of the ashes of former Decatur west of the railroad tracks. New Decatur was founded in 1887 and incorporated in 1889. However, residents of the older Decatur resented the new town, founded and occupied by people who moved down from northern states. Animosity was built until New Decatur renamed their town "Albany" after Albany, New York , in September 1916. The impetus to meld
8722-649: Was based on the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage employed by ULA's Delta launch vehicles. The ICPS is positioned atop the SLS core stage and directly below the Orion spacecraft . The ICPS has a cylindrical liquid hydrogen tank, structurally designed to bear launch loads, while the liquid oxygen and single RL10B-2 engine are suspended from the hydrogen tank and are covered by the interstage during launch. Only three ICPS stages were ever built, one for each of
8820-604: Was built by Boeing and derived from a Titan IV fairing. The trisector fairing was first used on the DSP-23 flight. Delta IV Heavy had 16 launches in its lifetime. Statistics are up-to-date as of 4 October 2024 . The first launch conducted by ULA was a Delta II from Vandenberg Space Force Base on 14 December 2006, carrying the satellite USA-193 for the National Reconnaissance Office . The satellite failed shortly after launch and
8918-466: Was carried by a Delta II. Orion 's first test flight was launched by a Delta IV Heavy rocket in December 2014, as part of Exploration Flight Test-1 . A Delta II rocket orbited a Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite in January 2015. In March 2015, an Atlas V rocket carried NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission spacecraft, and a Delta IV rocket orbited the GPS IIF-9 satellite on behalf of
9016-604: Was carried in November 2016, as was the WorldView-4 imaging satellite. In December 2016, the Wideband Global SATCOM's eighth satellite WGS-8 was launched on a Delta IV Medium rocket, and an Atlas V carried the EchoStar XIX communications satellite on behalf of Hughes Communications . In March 2017, WGS-9 was orbited by a Delta IV. Atlas V rockets carried NRO satellites, TDRS-M , and
9114-579: Was intentionally destroyed on 21 February 2008, by an SM-3 missile that was fired from the Ticonderoga -class cruiser USS Lake Erie . ULA's first Atlas V launch was in March 2007; it was an Atlas V variant 401 launching six military research satellites for Space Test Program (STP) 1. This mission also performed three burns of the Centaur upper stage; it was the first three-burn mission for Atlas V. ULA's first commercial mission COSMO-SkyMed
9212-464: Was introduced in the early 2000s. The Delta IV was originally designed by Boeing's Defense, Space & Security division for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, and became a ULA product in 2006. The Delta IV was mostly used for launching United States Air Force military payloads but was also used to launch a number of U.S. government non-military payloads and one commercial satellite. Delta IV had two main versions, which allowed
9310-476: Was launched on behalf of Italy's Ministry of Defense three months later using a Delta II rocket. On June 15, 2007, the engine in the Centaur upper stage of a ULA-launched Atlas V shut down early, leaving its payload – a pair of NROL-30 ocean surveillance satellites – in a lower than intended orbit. The NRO declared the launch a success. 2007 also saw ULA's first two interplanetary spacecraft launches using
9408-484: Was launching satellite GPS IIR-17 into medium Earth orbit on a Delta II. The company completed its first Delta IV launch using the Delta IV Heavy rocket to place a payload into geosynchronous orbit in November 2007, which was followed by three more launches in December 2007. 2008 saw seven launches, including Atlas V's from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 3E and five others using the Delta II. The Atlas launch carried NROL-28 in March 2008 and in September 2008
9506-581: Was retired in early 2024, having been replaced in the market by the SpaceX's Falcon Heavy , which was more powerful, less expensive, and faster to build, leading ULA to lose all commercial contracts. ULA planned an orderly retirement and had procured and had in hand 100 of the engines to continue building Atlas V as it developed a replacement rocket. At the time of the announcement they could fly 29 more missions and all of them had been sold, so no new orders would be accepted. ULA faces an uncertain future. In 2023,
9604-507: Was to visit and study the Sun 's outer corona in August 2018. It was also the Delta IV Heavy with a Star-48BV kick stage, and the highest-ever spacecraft velocity. The company launched the final Delta II rocket, carrying ICESat-2 from Vandenberg Air Force Base SLC-2 on 15 September 2018. This marks the last launch of a Delta family rocket based on the original Thor IRBM . On 22 August 2019, ULA launched its last Delta IV Medium rocket for
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