Watch ULA’s first dedicated rocket launch for the U.S. Space Force live(2:57EDT)

[Elderberry]

Techcrunch by Darrell Etherington 3/26/2020

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) has a mission today, launching a specialized secure communications satellite for the U.S. Space Force. That’s the new space-focused arm of the U.S. military that was officially formed last year, in response to what the administration has characterized as a growing need to ensure America’s assets in space are properly defended.

The launch today is set to take off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, with a lift-off time set for 2:57 PM EDT (11:57 AM PDT). The rocket carrying the satellite is an Atlas V, and the mission looks good to proceed as of Thursday morning in terms of both weather and systems checks.

This is the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite being launched for the military, but the previous five have all been deployed under the U.S. Air Force because the Space Force only came into existence officially last year. The first five satellites were launched between 2010 and 2019, and together, all six will form a constellation that provides secure communications capabilities for military operations across air, land and sea.

More: https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/26/watch-ulas-first-dedicated-rocket-launch-for-the-u-s-space-force-live/

[Elderberry]

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) has completed its 134th successful launch, continuing its perfect track record with a mission today for the U.S. Space Force. This is the first ever dedicated mission for the Space Force, a new branch of the U.S. armed forces dedicated to the defense and protection of America’s strategic assets in space.

The payload today was the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite that has been deployed for U.S. defense customers, though the original five that are already in orbit which launched over the course of the past decade were obviously sent up before Space Force was officially formed. The purpose of all the satellites is the same, however – providing strategic, reliable and secure communications for U.S. armed forces on Earth across land, sea and air.