Photos: Delta 4 lights up the sky for night owl launch

As viewed from the ITL Causeway at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket departs for space with the EchoStar 19 satellite to delivery Internet connectivity across the U.S.

United Launch Alliance technicians positioned the first stage for the next Atlas 5 rocket on a mobile launch platform Friday at Cape Canaveral, a key step in preparations for an October mission that will debut a new solid-fueled booster design.

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.