Waterside view of Delta 4 GPS 2F-6 Launch

The next Delta 4-Heavy rocket was raised vertical Friday at Cape Canaveral, signaling the start of a comprehensive series of pre-flight tests before liftoff next year with a top secret U.S. government spy satellite.

A United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket climbed into orbit Friday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California with a top secret spy satellite, adding a new set of eyes in the sky for the U.S. government’s intelligence community and nudging part of the Delta 4 family closer to retirement.

The tech giant launched three batches of its satellites on two different rockets in less than three months. It said the next slate of Kuiper satellites is prepared to launch now, but didn’t state when that’s expected to happen.