A payload of spy satellites was launched into orbit from the Central Coast, but how they got into space was unusual.
Most of the launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base involve SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets. But Wednesday's 12:33 p.m. flight involved a Northrop Grumman Minotaur 4 rocket. It’s the first time in more than a decade that one of the four-stage rockets has been launched from California.
The National Reconnaissance Office didn’t release details about the mission, which is typical when classified payloads are involved. A statement said the NROL-174 mission involved multiple national security payloads.
The Minotaur 4s are hybrid rockets. Three stages are part of decommissioned intercontinental ballistic missiles. The fourth stage is a custom-built booster.
