A signals intercepter for the U.S. spy satellite agency was successfully launched into a high orbit over the top of the world by an Atlas 5 rocket on Saturday night.
Liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California came at 10:49:47 p.m. local time (1:49:47 a.m. EDT; 0549:47 GMT Sunday) after an eight-hour countdown.
Rapidly departing the launch pad and powering to the southeast on a coast-hugging trajectory, the 197-foot-tall rocket burned four solid-fuel boosters in addition to its kerosene-fed main engine for 2.4 million pounds of thrust to dazzle in a spectacular ascent.
The launch was known simply as NROL-42, a top-secret satellite-delivery flight for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The NRO is the government body that controls the country’s spy satellites.
Within a few minutes of takeoff, the launch disappeared into the now-customary news blackout for national security reasons. About two hours later, officials announced a successful outcome had been achieved.
It marked the 144th consecutive successful Atlas program launch spanning more than two decades, the 73rd for an Atlas 5 and the 121st for United Launch Alliance.
What’s more, it was the 25th mission ULA has successfully performed for the NRO.
“NROL-42 marks the 25th ULA-launched NRO mission, building upon our legacy of partnership with the NRO in providing reliable access to space for our nation’s most critical missions,” said Laura Maginnis, ULA vice president of Government Satellite Launch.