The 19-story Atlas V rocket blasted off at 11:15 p.m. toward a low-Earth orbit. The rocket is carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. The agency, which operates intelligence-gathering satellites, did not release details about the cargo.
The recent swath of cold weather in California threatened a delay for the launch, but it took off during its launch window, marking the second time an Atlas V rocket has launched from the West Coast this year.
Atlas V rockets have launched 77 times from the Vandenberg base and from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
