On September 21, 2010 at 04:03 UTC the "Atlas 5” rocket-carrier was launched from the Space Launch Complex 3-East pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base, USA.
The rocket-carrier orbited the NROL-41 (National Reconnaisance Office Launch) satellite. The launch was performed by United Launch Alliance.
The satellite belongs to the National Reconnaissance Office, the agency responsible for designing and operating the country's fleet of intelligence-gathering satellites.
The NRO is marking its 50th year as America's eyes and ears in space to collect imagery and information.
