Delta 4 lifts off with spy satellite payload from California

This afteroon's hazy cloud cover was a perfect way to keep prying eyes from seeing the Delta 4 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California this afternoon at 4:12 PDT. The mission, known as NROL-25, carried a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).

The launch had been delayed several times from its original launch date of Thursday, March 29th and today the launch went off as scheduled.

Six minutes into the launch the mission went into a news blackout. No information is being made on the progress of the mission, its ascent or trajectory, the upper stage firings or the release and orbit status of the payload.

The last launch of a Delta 4 heavy rocket from Vandenberg was in January, 2011.

This image shows the rocket with the first stage still burning less than 60 seconds after liftoff.

For more images of rocket launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base visit my launch image website at http://dosgatos.com/au/vafb.htm