Snapshots from Atlas 5 launch

United Launch Alliance teams rolled the Mobile Service Tower away from a Delta 4-Heavy rocket at Cape Canaveral’s Complex 37B launch pad Wednesday in preparation for liftoff on a national security mission.

A Cargo Dragon spacecraft launched to begin its fifth journey to the International Space Station, carrying with it more than 6,000 pounds of science and supplies. Liftoff happened at 9:29 p.m. EST Monday (0229 UTC Tuesday).

Deploying its marquee element in space Tuesday, NASA’s new Soil Moisture Active Passive spacecraft took a major step towards realizing its science potential.