The NROL-47 spacecraft soared into Earth orbit today (Jan. 12), riding atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Medium rocket that lifted off from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base at 5:11 p.m. EST (2211 GMT, 2:11 p.m. local California time).
NROL-47 will be operated by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), which builds and manages the United States' spy satellites. NRO missions tend to be hush-hush, and NROL-47 is no exception; no details have been released about the satellite's planned activities.
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