WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — An Atlas V rocket, loaded with a US spy satellite and operated by the United Launch Alliance (ULA), was launched in California; the launch was broadcast by the ULA.
The NROL-42 satellite lifted off at 05:50 GMT from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. The launch was initially scheduled to take place on Friday, but the ULA delayed it to replace a faulty battery on the rocket carrier.
Meanwhile, the launch had previously been delayed due to Hurricane Irma, which hit the south of the United States last week. The mission is the 25th launch carried out jointly by the ULA and US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) since 2006. It is also the sixth launch of an Atlas V rocket since the beginning of the year.
