The U.S. military test launched an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile in a routine exercise to maintain the readiness of its nuclear arsenal.

The test flight, known as Glory Trip 254, saw an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch from Vandenberg Space Force at 1:35 a.m. Pacific Time (0635 GMT) on Wednesday (Nov. 5). Like all ICBMs, the missile briefly left Earth's atmosphere during flight.

The Minuteman III traveled 4,200 miles (6,760 kilometers) west before impacting in a designated range in the U.S. Army's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site, located in the Marshall Islands.

The test launch was overseen by the U.S. Air Force's Global Strike Command (AFGSC), and involved AFGSC personnel from the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron t

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