An Atlas V rocket took off from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., late Monday, carrying a national security payload into space for the National Reconnaissance Office, according to Vandenberg officials. Airmen from Vandy’s 30th Space Wing worked with United Launch Alliance and NRO officials to execute the launch. According to ULI, this was the third time that an Atlas V has been launched from Vandenberg. (Vandenberg release) (ULI release)
The U.K. and the U.S. will continue to enjoy access to the ports, airfield, and workshops at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for at least another century, under a deal inked between the U.K. and Mauritius May 22.