'Absolutely Beautiful': Atlas V Rocket Launch Stuns Onlookers in Florida

Early risers in Florida saw a fiery streak in the pre-dawn sky on Thursday, August 8, as an Atlas V rocket carrying a military communications satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, local media reported.

The satellite was the fifth in a series of six that began launching in 2010, local media said. The six Lockheed Martin satellites comprise a series called Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) that were designed to enhance communications, bandwidth, and data transmission for US leaders and the military, rocket manufacturer United Launch Alliance said.

This video, taken by Wayne Charnley in Kissimmee, shows a rocket trail arcing through the sky and gradually brightening. Charnley said the launch was an “amazing” and “absolutely beautiful” sight.

Local media reported that the sixth satellite in the $15 billion AEHF project was expected to launch in March 2020. Credit: Wayne Charnley via Storyful