A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket launched a classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Dec. 12 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

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Mike Gruss is the chief content and strategy officer at SpaceNews. From 2013 to 2016 he was a senior reporter at SpaceNews covering military space. Previously, he was editor in chief of Sightline Media Group and worked as a reporter and columnist for...