CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., May 22 (UPI) -- Private space company United Launch Alliance launched its Atlas 5 rocket Thursday morning, carrying with it one of the United States' newest spy satellites -- the company's latest mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.
The rocket successfully blasted off at just after 9 a.m. EST, taking flight from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. It's the fourth successful mission launched by ULA -- a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing -- in just the last seven weeks.
"Congratulations to all of our mission partners on today's successful launch of the NROL-33 mission," Jim Sponnick, ULA vice president, said in a press release. "The ULA team is honored to deliver another critical national security asset to orbit together with the NRO Office of Space Launch and the Air Force."
Just last week, ULA sent a new GPS satellite into orbit via its Delta 4 rocket. And last month the company launched a weather satellite and another spy satellite.
