The Spacecraft Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, or STEREO, launched into space atop a Delta II rocket made by The Boeing Co. [BA], NASA announced.

STEREO rose from Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., in an evening launch.

The payload spacecraft is to take 3D pictures of the sun to create a global picture of the nearest star and an understanding of its effects from coronal mass ejections.

They can cause geomagnetic storms, affecting transmission and energy distribution pipelines on Earth.

The Delta II is designed to boost medium-sized satellites and robotic explorers into space. For this mission, NASA selected model 7925-10L, a three-stage rocket equipped with nine strap-on motors. The protective payload fairing is extended in length and measures 10 feet in diameter.