After nearly a half-hour delay because of a technical issue, United Launch Alliance was able to send an Atlas V rocket into space from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station today.
The 8:29 a.m. liftoff from Space Launch Complex 41 came after a thermal reading delayed the original planned liftoff of 8:03 a.m.
It’s another effort to get NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-M into orbit, following a failed attempt in early August.
NASA delayed that launch when an antenna on the satellite was damaged during processing.
The agency also had to investigate an incident with ground support equipment but details of that were not released.
The Atlas V 401 rocket is known as the workhorse of United Launch Alliance’s fleet, having previously flown 35 missions. These have included scientific missions, exploration and national security missions.
The launch will be the second this week.
One of United Launch Alliance’s competitors, SpaceX, launched a rocket carrying cargo for the International Space Station on Monday.
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