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Rocket launches on secret U.S. intelligence mission

Atlas V rocket launches on secret mission 00:46

A rocket carrying a secret payload for the U.S. government successfully launched from the central California coast Thursday night.


The Atlas V rocket lit up the night sky at about 11:15 p.m., lifting off from Vandenberg Air Force Base toward low-Earth orbit.

The 19-story-tall rocket carried a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, which operates the nation's system of intelligence-gathering satellites. 

The agency has not released any details about the payload. A California cold snap had threatened a possible delay, but the rocket took off within moments of the opening of its launch window. 

Thursday's launch was the second time an Atlas 5 rocket has lifted off from the West Coast this year. Overall, there have been 77 Atlas V launches from Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral, Fla.

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