Two big space events occurred in a matter of hours Friday.

  • Delta IV rocket carried spy satellites into orbit
  • Astronauts installed adapter on ISS for crew capsules
  • Next launch will carry NASA probe that will travel to asteroid

United Launch Alliance sent up a Delta V rocket overnight, which lit up the Space Coast sky.

Hours later, 200 miles above, astronauts installed a commercial spacecraft "parking" spot high above Earth.

Brevard County residents were treated to a nighttime show as the Delta IV rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station just after 12:30 a.m. Friday.

The powerful rocket delivered a pair of spy satellites into space for the U.S. Air Force. The satellites will monitor objects in orbit from a distance of 22,000 miles up.

Their goal is to reduce space collisions and perform military surveillance.

High above Earth, International Space Station Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineer Kate Rubins donned spacesuits and headed outside the orbiting outpost. Their mission was to install the first of two international docking adapters that will allow Boeing and SpaceX commercial crew vehicles.

One got there July 20 via a SpaceX Dragon capsule cargo resupply mission launched from Cape Canaveral.

"Confirmed that the second of two gangs of hooks were closed. This is a view of the IDA control panel," NASA commentator Rob Navias narrated from Mission Control in Houston.

About 2 1/2 hours later, with the power and data connectors hooked up, the docking port became a permanent fixture on the ISS.

The spacewalk lasted almost six hours and marks another commercial crew milestone to return Americans to space from Florida.

The next launch from the Space Coast is set for Sept. 8 — NASA is sending a probe to collect samples from an asteroid for the first time in history.