Rocket launches on secret U.S. intelligence mission
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.