Photos: Final ULA mission of the year blasts off successfully

A new solid rocket motor built by Northrop Grumman has aced its final test-firing before a scheduled debut on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket flight next year.

A ULA Atlas 5 rocket is set to launch no earlier than 2 p.m. EDT (1800 UTC) on Friday, Oct. 6. It will sent up two prototype satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellite internet constellation.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 5:49 a.m. local time (8:49 a.m. EDT; 1249 GMT) Thursday on the classified National Reconnaissance Office NROL-55 mission.