Rise and shine: Atlas 5 rocket successfully soars at dawn

A sophisticated satellite was launched into space today to improve the preeminent path of communications between the president, military commanders and troops on the battlefield, ensuring a survivable line of contact even in hellish scenarios of nuclear warfare. The inaugural spacecraft in the Advanced Extremely High Frequency program rode a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket away from Cape Canaveral's Complex 41 at 7:07 a.m. EDT. Three solid-fueled boosters mounted to the launcher's kerosene-fed first stage provided a substantial kick in speed and power coming off the pad, sending the 197-foot-tall, million-pound Atlas blazing a trail toward the east. More

(Source: Space Flight Now - Aug 16)