NASA astronaut Rex Walheim excited about Orion test flight

The United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Medium+ (5,4) rocket lifted off Wednesday at 6:53 p.m. EST (2353 GMT) from Cape Canaveral to deploy the latest craft for the U.S. military’s Wideband Global SATCOM communications satellite constellation.

A new launch date has been established — June 9 — for the Delta 4-Heavy rocket to carry a classified satellite into space for U.S. national security needs.

Some of America’s most critical surveillance satellites, final members of other spacecraft series and a probe that will touch an asteroid are among 15 rocket flights planned by United Launch Alliance in 2016.