United Launch Alliance successfully launched one of its Vulcan Centaur rockets into orbit on Tuesday, demonstrating the viability of new technology developed for the U.S. military's space missions.
The rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 8:56 p.m. ET on Tuesday. It was the third launch of a Vulcan rocket in the company's history and the first time it was used on a national security mission, called USSF-106, according to Spaceflight Now.
“This mission was the foundation for Vulcan,” said Tory Bruno, ULA president and CEO, during the company's livestream before the launch.
The video captures the moment the rocket lifts off and its bright light illuminates the Florida night sky.
The mission is to place a classified payload into orbit, as well as the Navigation Technology Satellite-3 system. NTS-3 is operated by the Air Force Research Laboratory and will serve to protect GPS technology and critical infrastructure from intentional signal jamming.
Earlier in the X announcement, ULA said it would deploy its mission to geosynchronous orbit, which is more than 22,000 miles above the Earth's surface and most closely aligned with its rotation.
The launch of Vulcan, according to the press release, symbolizes the end of U.S. reliance on Russian-made missiles, as mandated by Congress, and an expansion of the Space Force's capabilities. The launch is the first comprehensive navigation satellite experiment in nearly half a century.
At a news conference Monday, Col. Jim Horn, the U.S. Space Force's mission director, described the launch as “a historic moment for our program,” according to Signal, a publication of the Defense Communications and Electronics Association.
Sourse: www.upi.com
