WASHINGTON — A Northrop Grumman Minotaur IV rocket successfully launched multiple classified payloads for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on April 16, marking a return to Vandenberg Space Force Base for the solid-fueled launch vehicle after more than a decade.

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Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense...