ULA launches Delta IV carrying military satellite into orbit

U.S. Air Force satellite will improve communication with troops

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – United Launch Alliance continued its streak of consecutive successful launches Wednesday evening sending a government satellite to improve communication with U.S. troops into orbit.

The Delta IV rocket, carrying the U.S. Air Force’s eighth Wideband Global SATCOM satellites, or WGS-8, lifted off from Launch Complex 37 from Cape Canaveral right on time at 6:53 p.m.

During the final readiness review Air Force weather officials predicted a 90 percent chance of good liftoff conditions.

The $425 million WGS-8 satellites will improve communication to American troops by providing double the bandwidth of previous WGS satellites, according to ULA.

"The information age has resulted in an explosion of communications demand and capability for everyone globally," said Rico Attanasio, director of military satellite communications for Boeing, the builder of WGS spacecraft told News 6 partner FLORIDA TODAY.

Attanasio described the satellite as a router in orbit.

 "For our armed forces and DOD [Department of Defense] users, wideband communications is vitally important to executing missions that protect and defend the people of the United States and our interests. More and more, WGS is called upon to deliver reliable, high data rate communications anywhere in the world, sometimes in contested environments," Attanasio said.

Wednesday’s launch marked ULA’s 11th launch of the year and sixth launch for the Delta IV rocket medium configuration.

Media viewing was not available for the launch, because of safety concerns due to wind, according to the 45th Space Wing.

Also this week, Japanese space agency, JAXA is set to launch supplies to the International Space Station Friday. It will be the first cargo delivery to the orbiting laboratory since October. A Russian Soyuz rocket failed to deliver the Progress cargo carry to the Space Station after launching on Dec. 1, becoming the fourth supply mission to fail in 25 months.

SpaceX announced Wednesday the company will delay the return to launch until January because it needed more time to investigate the Falcon 9 Sept. 1 explosion.

 


About the Authors:

James joined News 6 in March 2016 as the Brevard County Reporter. His arrival was the realization of a three-year effort to return to the state where his career began. James is from Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from Penn State in 2009 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.