Navy satellite sails to orbit atop Atlas 5 rocket for communications grid

The constellation-building Atlas 5 rocket from United Launch Alliance successfully deployed the fifth communications spacecraft for the Navy’s Mobile User Objective System today to form a new rugged smartphone network for the U.S. military. “MUOS is a revolutionary system in its infancy,” said Navy Commander Peter Sheehy, principal assistant program manager of MUOS. “Five years from now, we’ll be wondering how we ever operated without it.” The Atlas 5 heaved the massive payload into the proper orbit to complete the launch series, flying straight and true just like the four previous MUOS missions since 2012. More

(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jun 25)