NASA’s innovative soil moisture mapper, a new environmental satellite launching in January, has been fueled up for blastoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
The mighty Titan — a pillar in American rocketry for five decades — flew into orbit for the final time on October 19, 2005, capping a distinguished career of heavy-lifting that has spanned America’s space age.
The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket unleashed two million pounds of thrust at 7:19 p.m. PST (10:19 p.m. EST) on Dec. 12 to blast off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on the NROL-35 mission. See photos of the launch from the press viewing site.
