October 26, 2025
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Breaking News
  • [ October 25, 2025 ] Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Falcon 9
  • [ October 24, 2025 ] SpaceX surpasses 2024 orbital launch record with Saturday Starlink mission Falcon 9
  • [ October 24, 2025 ] Airbus, Leonardo and Thales agree to form new European company News
  • [ October 23, 2025 ] SpaceX expends Falcon 9 booster to launch Spainsat NG 2 communications satellite Falcon 9
  • [ October 22, 2025 ] SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on 550th Falcon 9 mission Falcon 9

Photos: Gantry rolled back to reveal Atlas 5 rocket for launch

September 24, 2017 Justin Ray

The mobile service tower retracts from the Atlas 5 rocket, revealing the 197-foot-tall vehicle for liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, carrying the classified NROL-42 national security payload for the U.S. government.

Credit: United Launch Alliance

See earlier NROL-42 coverage.

  • Atlas 5
  • AV-072
  • mst rollback
  • National Reconnaissance Office
  • NROL-42
  • United Launch Alliance
  • Vandenberg Air Force Base

Related Articles

Atlas 5

NASA’s next Mars rover will soon ship to Cape Canaveral launch site

January 2, 2020 Stephen Clark

Fresh off its first terrestrial test drive, NASA’s Mars 2020 rover was displayed to media last week at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California before it’s packed up and flown across the country to Cape Canaveral in February to begin final launch preparations for liftoff in July.

Atlas 5

Replay: Atlas 5 launches missile warning satellite

January 20, 2018 Spaceflight Now

Watch a replay of the launch of an Atlas 5 rocket carrying the $1.2 billion SBIRS GEO Flight 4 satellite into orbit.

Mission Reports

Delta 4-Heavy countdown aborted moments before launch

December 9, 2018 Stephen Clark

A dramatic automatic abort 7.5 seconds before the planned liftoff of a United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket Saturday night kept the towering launcher on the pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, with a top secret spy payload for the National Reconnaissance Office.

News Headlines

  • Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral
    October 25, 2025
  • SpaceX surpasses 2024 orbital launch record with Saturday Starlink mission
    October 24, 2025
  • Airbus, Leonardo and Thales agree to form new European company
    October 24, 2025
  • SpaceX expends Falcon 9 booster to launch Spainsat NG 2 communications satellite
    October 23, 2025
  • SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on 550th Falcon 9 mission
    October 22, 2025
  • SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg
    October 18, 2025
  • SpaceX launches a Falcon 9 rocket on record-breaking 31st flight
    October 18, 2025
  • Orion spacecraft arrives at VAB ahead of stacking for Artemis 2
    October 17, 2025
  • SpaceX sends 28 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit in predawn launch
    October 15, 2025
  • SpaceX launches 2nd batch of satellites for Space Development Agency following weather scrub
    October 14, 2025
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