An unmanned Titan 4 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Friday evening to place a classified military payload into orbit, ending nearly five decades of Titan launches from Florida. The launch, which took place at 8:50 p.m. EDT (0050 GMT Saturday), leaves just one final mission for the military's largest unmanned booster from the Air Force's west coast launch site in California. Titan rockets began flying from Cape Canaveral in 1959. "A very successful mission this evening," a commentator with Titan manufacturer Lockheed Martin said from launch control center as the satellite successfully separated from the rocket nine minutes and 30 seconds after liftoff. "Congratulations to the entire team." Powered by twin solid rocket motors, the Titan 4 was visible for miles in the clear evening sky as it headed northeast along the Atlantic coast, Reuters reported. The rocket had been sitting on its seaside launch pad for eight months before it was finally cleared for flight on Thursday.
