Spy Satellite Launches From Vandenberg Air Force Base

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA – A twice-delayed rocket carrying a spy satellite launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base Friday, but the daytime liftoff was much less dramatic than the light show created by the evening launch by Hawthorne-based SpaceX last month.

Although there weren't any aerial pyrotechnics this time, the the United Launch Alliance rocket's smoky trail could be seen streaking across the sky around the Southland, as far away as San Bernardino County.

The United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket *was originally scheduled to launch Wednesday, but windy conditions forced a delay to Thursday, when technical issues arose that promoted another delay. The rocket was set to launch at 1 p.m. Friday, but a helium issue delayed the liftoff for about an hour.

The rocket finally shot into space at 2:11 p.m.

The rocket was carrying a National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite, with the mission dubbed NROL-47. It was the 27th NRO launch by United Launch Alliance, which is a Colorado-based aerospace partnership between Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

On Dec. 22, Hawthorne-based SpaceX launched a rocket from Vandenberg just after sunset, creating an aerial spectacle that had thousands of people reaching for their cameras, and some wondering if they were witnessing an alien invasion. The light show was visible across the Southland and was spotted as far away as Phoenix.

Editor's Note: a previous version of this article said SpaceX owned the rocket from today's launch, which has since been corrected.

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Image via Getty Images and Bill Ingalls/NASA