The NROL-52 satellite soared into orbit this morning (Oct. 15) atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, which lifted off at 3:28 a.m. EDT (0728 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.The launch came after more than a week of delays due to weather and a suspect telemetry transmitter that had to be replaced.
An Atlas 5 also provided the ride for the NROL-42 reconnaissance satellite, which launched on Sept. 24 from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. [The Most Dangerous Space Weapons Ever]
Both NROL-42 and NROL-52 were built by the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), which operates the nation's fleet of spy satellites. NRO missions tend to be classified, so it's unclear what exactly NROL-52 will be looking at as it zips around Earth in its undisclosed orbit.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches the NROL-52 spy satellite into orbit from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Oct. 15, 2017.
Credit: United Launch Alliance/Jeff Spotts