A military satellite has been successfully launched from the Central Coast last night after being scrubbed last week due to a problem with the rocket booster.
The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifted off at 10:49 pm Saturday from Vandenberg Air Force Base. It was visible for much of the South and Central Coast.
The launch had been planned for Thursday night, but a faulty battery on board the nearly 200-foot high booster resulted in that launch being cancelled. The battery was later replaced.
The 20-story high rocket carried a secret payload into orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office, which gathers information for national security, assessing impacts of natural disasters and other purposes.