The Titan rocket programme was put on hold when a Titan 4A exploded soon after lift off in August last year.

The failure is now regarded as one of history's most expensive space disasters. The combined cost of the rocket and its top secret spy satellite cargo was put at more than $1bn.

Investigators determined the Titan went out of control and blew up because of a short circuit caused by frayed wiring in the rocket's first stage.

Archive of last August's explosion

However, the Titan 4B, an improved version of the rocket that exploded, went up without a major hitch.

After some late adjustments which delayed the launch by one and a half hours, the rocket eventually soared into a clear sky just after one o'clock local time.

The Air Force and Lockheed Martin Corporation, which builds the rocket, had repeatedly checked the Titan's wiring for any problems before launch, spending about $30m on corrective measures.

August explosion: One of history's most expensive space disasters

Friday's payload, a $400m Defence Support Programme missile-warning satellite, joins a constellation of satellites already in orbit that can detect missile launches, space launches and nuclear detonations worldwide.

The spacecraft use an infrared sensor to detect heat from missile and booster plumes against the Earth's background.