Mar 03, 2017 12:25 AM EST By Eleanor Bright, UniversityHerald Reporter

A US spy satellite took off from an air force base in California March 1 of this year. The said spy satellite was launched for a secret mission. This was the first US spy satellite to be sent to space for the year 2017.

The new US spy satellite sent to orbit the Earth was named NROL-79. The US National Reconnaissance office (NRO) will control the space craft as it orbits the Earth. There were three more launched last year. These were the NROL-45, NROL-37 and NROL-61. They were lunched on June, July and February of last year, according to Live Science.

NROL-79 was launched atop the Atlas V Rocket of ULA. For the Atlas V Rocket, this was its 70^th trip to space. The first one was in 2002 and all of its flights were successful.

Thousands of US spy satellites have been launched into space. They orbit around the Earth to gather information and take photos of the Earth's surface. The information they bring to Earth become a resource for different government agencies, especially the military. Through the spy satellites, the United States can monitor movement of troops in nations where there is war. They serve as the US "eyes" in space and play a critical role in national defense, according to SOFREP News

Aside from information vital to the military intelligence, the space craft takes images of places below it. During natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones, photos taken by the satellite could direct rescuers to places that badly need assistance.

The end of the Obama administration saw reduced restrictions on the kind of information that could be gathered from satellites. Telephone conversations, emails and messages sent by people from around the world can now be recorded.
Sending a spy satellite into space would help the United States keep its lead among countries of the world.

See Now: Covert Team Inside Newsweek Revealed as Key Players in False Human Trafficking Lawsuit