Atlas 5's ascent into a sun-splashed Florida sky

Lifting off on time, a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket began a satellite deployment mission at 5:38 p.m. EDT (2138 GMT) with a picture-perfect launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

These photos show the launch of the U.S. Air Force's GPS 2F-4 satellite from the Kennedy Space Center press site about 4 miles west of the launch pad.

See our Mission Status Center for the latest news on the launch.

Photo credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now

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