Atlas 5 rocket launches from California for first time

America's Atlas 5 rocket made its much-anticipated maiden mission from the West Coast early Thursday morning, piercing ground-hugging clouds and fog that blanketed the launch pad to send a secretive spy satellite into orbit. After an uneventful countdown, the rocket's kerosene-fueled main engine and single strap-on solid-propellant booster ignited at 3:02 a.m. local time (6:02 a.m. EDT; 1002 GMT) to send the 19-story rocket on its nightowl ascent to space from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. More

(Source: SpaceFlightNow.com - Nov 30)