United Launch Alliance rocket carrying US navy satellite designed to enhance the US military’s communications around the world

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

An advanced Atlas V rocket launched into space shortly after 8pm ET on Tuesday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying a US navy satellite into orbit that is meant to enhance the US military’s communications around the world.

With clear skies and without incident, United Launch Alliance fired a heavy rocket into a high orbit around the earth’s equator. The Mobile User Objective System 3 satellite – weighing 7.5 tons and called the MUOS-3 – will with two other advanced navy satellites provide higher speed and secure phone service to US military forces in remote parts of the world.

The satellite network has proven particularly useful for regions without infrastructure, but where militaries, research times and businesses have an increased presence, such as the north pole.

Atlas V rockets have been used for a variety of missions over many years, but the especially heavy payload of Tuesday’s ULA mission meant the rocket needed additional boosters to deliver it into orbit.

Before the rocket took off above the launch pad it surreally lingered there while its rocket and boosters swelled with fire, building thrust for the steady ascent upward.

Nasa also uses Atlas V rockets, most recently for missions to Jupiter and Pluto. ULA is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, which both act as primary contractors of the US military and Nasa.

Also on Tuesday, private spaceflight company SpaceX received $1bn in funding from Google and Fidelity. SpaceX launched and failed to land an experimental reusable rocket on 10 January, with technology which company founder Elon Musk hopes could begin a new era of accessible space travel.