Live coverage: Vega rocket launches with LISA Pathfinder

A decommissioned missile originally built in Russia to deliver nuclear weapons to intercontinental targets in the United States vaulted out of a vertical canister Friday and fired into space with a European satellite to monitor global air pollution.

The 81st flight of Europe’s Ariane 5 rocket delivered two satellites to geostationary orbit Thursday for Eutelsat and Intelsat, and these photos show the launcher taking off with nearly 3 million pounds of thrust.

Arianespace will fit in a bonus launch of a Soyuz rocket from French Guiana in May to deliver two more European Galileo navigation satellites to orbit, giving the French launch services firm 12 missions on its 2016 manifest, officials said Thursday.