Liftoff of the final Delta IV Heavy vehicle carrying the NROL-70 classified payload to orbit at 12:53 PM EDT from SLC-37.
The Delta Heavy has 2.1 million pounds of thrust at liftoff from three Delta first stage cores and a beautiful hydrogen flame.
Weather was 90% Go For Launch today in partly cloudy skies and a brisk sea breeze.
Photos by Scott Schilke for spacenewsfl.com