Bringing back launches to a dormant site, a Minotaur IV rocket returned to Vandenberg Space Force Base on Wednesday afternoon to deliver clandestine cargo to into orbit for the nation’s spy satellite agency.

The four-stage Northrop Grumman Corp. rocket blasted off at 12:33 p.m. from Space Launch Complex-8, which last saw a rocket lift off that South Base 14 years ago.

Employing three stages furnished from the government from retired Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles and a new commercial upper stage, the Minotaur IV carries smaller government payloads, up to 3,800 pounds, into space. 

The vehicle delivered a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office in a mission dubbed NROL-174 with the agency saying it involved “multiple national security payloads.”

As they typically do, NRO officials remained mum about the number of satellites, their purpose, cost and health upon arriving in space.

“This launch is a testament to what the national security launch enterprise is able to achieve,” said Laura Robinson, deputy director, NRO Office of Space Launch, and NROL-174 mission director. 

“The NROL-174 Minotaur IV rocket was once a Peacekeeper ICBM that sat watch 24/7 in support of our nation’s nuclear deterrent,” Robinson added. “Now modified for space launch, it completed its final mission of placing a national security payload on orbit, a credit to the decades-long dedication of those who were part of the missile’s early development, maintenance and operations, and innovative conversion into the Minotaur IV rocket. It was truly a team effort.”

SLC-8, the most southern launch facility at Vandenberg, previously has launched nine Minotaur rockets — six Minotaur I and three Minotaur IV — with the last in 2011 involving another NRO mission.

The Minotaur family of rocket launches also saw NRO launches in 2020 and 2021 from Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.

Lt. Col. Steve Hendershot, from the Space Force Space Systems Command, called the mission textbook.

“We have a great relationship with our partners at the NRO, and watching today’s launch you saw our teamwork, discipline, and trust pay off strong,” Hendershot added.

This was the second of three NRO launches planned from Vandenberg in eight days. 

Minotaur followed a SpaceX rocket launch on April 12 and precedes another Falcon rocket liftoff aiming for Saturday.

Wednesday’s mission also launched the first of three involving completely different rockets and launch sites at Vandenberg for the end of the week.

Along with the SpaceX launch on Saturday, Vandenberg also may see a Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket launch as soon as Friday morning. Alpha, another small launcher, will carry a commercial payload for Lockheed Martin Corp. 

However, as of Thursday morning, the advisories related to a Firefly launch had been removed.