Live coverage: Kennedy Space Center to reopen Friday

Lessons learned during preparations leading up to the first orbital test flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft in December have prompted engineers to recommend changing the design of the crew capsule’s heat shield for future missions to the moon, Mars, or an asteroid, according to Lockheed Martin officials.

Narrated video packages show the shrouded NROL-37 payload being hoisted atop the United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket and the retraction of the mobile service gantry.

A top secret payload developed in secrecy for the U.S. government is set to ride into orbit from Florida’s Space Coast aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Thursday.