Atlas V lifts off into night sky after brief delay

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Atlas V lifts off into night sky after brief delay
http://www.mynews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2015/1/20/atlas_launch.html

Atlas V launched from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, carrying the Mobile User Objective System, or MUOS, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015.

A timelapse photo as an Atlas V rocket blasts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. (PHOTO/Pramod Divakarmurthy, Viewer)

Sent via the News 13+ app: A timelapse photo from South Orlando of the Atlas V rocket launch, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. (PHOTO/Viewer)

Sent via the News 13+ app: A view of the Atlas V rocket launch from St. Cloud, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. (PHOTO/Perez Soto Family)

Sent via the News 13+ app: An Atlas V rocket reflects off the water in Cocoa Beach, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. (PHOTO/Diane, Viewer)

Sent via the News 13+ app: An Atlas V rocket emerges from a cloud bank near the Cape Canaveral Hospital, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. (PHOTO/Lois Armstrong, Viewer)

Sent via the News 13+ app: A timelapse photo of the Atlas V rocket launch over Satellite Beach, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. (PHOTO/Matt, Viewer)

Sent via the News 13+ app: An Atlas V streaks across the sky in Cocoa Beach, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. (PHOTO/Natasha Rapp, Viewer)

Sent via the News 13+ app: An Atlas V rocket lights up the Banana River in Merritt Island, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. (PHOTO/Michael, Viewer)

Sent via the News 13+ app: An Atlas V rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. (PHOTO/Berenice McKinnis, Viewer)

An Atlas V rocket streaks across the Cocoa Beach skies, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. (PHOTO/Alexander Albaugh, Viewer)

A view from Cocoa Beach of an Atlas V launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. (PHOTO/Bob Bannerman, Viewer)

An Atlas V rocket lights up the skies over West Melbourne, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. (PHOTO/Regis Scott, Viewer)

An Atlas V rocket streaks across the West Melbourne skies, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. (PHOTO/Nebulousy P., Viewer)

A view of the Atlas V rocket launch from Cocoa Beach, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. (PHOTO/Gene, Viewer)

CAPE CANAVERAL -- After a brief delay Atlas V launched, taking a new military satellite with it.
The rocket was supposed to open with the launch window at 7:43 p.m. The new launch time was 8:04 p.m.
The rocket is carrying a next-generation satellite designed to improve communications for U.S. ground forces around the globe, called the Mobile User Objective System, or MUOS for short.

It will provide 10 times more capability than current systems in use, including voice, video and data.

The satellite for the U.S. Navy will join two previous upgraded ones launched in 2012 and 2013.

This is the first of 10 launches that ULA has planned from the Space Coast this year.

Tuesday Lockheed Martin employees visited with some 250 eighth grade students at Ronald McNair Magnet Middle School in Rockledge to talk about the mission -- and the technology behind it.

They are working to foster the kids' interests in pursing STEM education and careers.

They worked on different problem solving projects and team communication skills -- all key to any workplace -- including missions to space. And from what we saw -- there are definitely some future engineers in this group, like eighth grader Anaya Rhodes of Viera.

Seven McNair faculty members attended the launch. They are the ones teaching the kids about 'space', which is part of the eighth grade curriculum.

Lockheed Martin invests more than $25 million each year to nonprofits focused on STEM education.

got to love florida and the space coast!