Photos: Atlas 5 fulfills MUOS launch series with fifth successful launch

Now in an elliptical orbit around the sun, the Tesla Roadster launched atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket Tuesday during the powerful booster’s maiden flight was expected to pass beyond the moon’s orbit overnight Wednesday and reach the orbit of Mars in July as it puts Earth in its rear view mirror, analysts said.

Russia launched a fresh satellite for the Glonass network Wednesday aboard a Soyuz rocket, replenishing a fleet of positioning and timing stations used around the world for navigation services.

See images of a classified spy payload lifted on top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.