This photo gallery shows the classified National Reconnaissance Office payload, already encapsulated in the 14-foot-diameter nose cone, being lifted atop the United Launch Alliance Atlas-Centaur rocket at Cape Canaveral’s Vertical Integration Facility. This milestone was achieved on Sept. 26.
Launch of NROL-52 is planned for Thursday, Oct. 5, at 4:07 a.m. EDT.
Photo credit: United Launch Alliance
See earlier NROL-52 coverage.