Atlas V to launch NROL-42

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is aiming for a nighttime liftoff from California on Saturday, set to dispatch a classified satellite into orbit for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. NROL-42 most likely is a signals intelligence satellite flying under the Trumpet program and destined for a Highly Elliptical Orbit from where it can complement Geostationary intelligence-gathering satellites by providing optimized coverage over the high latitude regions.

As is typical for NRO missions, Atlas V will fly into a pre-arranged News Blackout at the point of payload fairing separation approximately three and a half minutes into the mission to allow NROL-42 to reach its classified orbit without the public watching.

Live Video by United Launch Alliance