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NROL-61 satellite launched Thursday spotted in space by sky-watchers
Sky-watchers with a passion for looking up and tracking satellites with remarkable precision have made quick work of locating the spacecraft launched atop an Atlas 5 rocket on Thursday.
After three-year wait, commercial imaging observatory shipped for launch
More than three years after its launch was delayed by a corporate merger, a commercial Earth-imaging satellite has finally shipped to its California rocket base for liftoff aboard an Atlas 5 in September.
Photos: More shots of Thursday’s Atlas 5 rocket launch
Departing Cape Canaveral at 8:37 a.m. EDT Thursday, the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket lifted a classified national security satellite into orbit for deployment.
Photos: Atlas 5 powers away with NROL-61 payload
Launching the secretive NROL-61 payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket thundered away from Cape Canaveral today at 8:37 a.m. EDT (1237 GMT).
Spy satellite infrastructure supported by successful Atlas 5 rocket launch
A clandestine satellite for the U.S. reconnaissance program was successfully launched by an Atlas 5 rocket today, riding a ferocious torrent of fire and smoke off the pad before disappearing behind a curtain of secrecy.
VideoVideo: Liftoff of Atlas 5 on NROL-61 satellite deployment
The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, standing 194 feet tall and and weighing 950,000 pounds, unleashes 1.5 million pounds of thrust from its main engine and two side-mounted boosters at 8:37 a.m. EDT today to launch the National Reconnaissance Office's NROL-61 satellite from Cape Canaveral.
Atlas 5 launches NROL-61 as seen from the NASA Press Site
An Atlas 5 rocket lifts off in the early morning Sun from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral carrying a top secret satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. (Membership required)
Photos: Atlas 5 on the pad at sundown
Following delivery to the launch pad, the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket stands poised for the NROL-61 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office from Cape Canaveral on Thursday morning.
Atlas 5/NROL-61 launch timeline
Follow the unclassified portion of the Atlas 5 rocket's ascent to space from Cape Canaveral’s Complex 41 launch pad with the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office's NROL-61 satellite. Launch is scheduled for Thursday at 8:37 a.m. EDT (1237 GMT).
Live coverage: Atlas 5 countdown and launch journal
The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 8:37 a.m. EDT (1237 GMT) today to deploy a classified satellite in service to the national security of the United States. Follow the mission in our live journal.