Watch the night launch of a new US military satellite tonight!



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Watch the night launch of a new US military satellite tonight!

An Atlas V rocket from the United Launch Alliance, carrying the US Army's Advanced High-Frequency Communication Satellite 4, is on the launch pad before take-off on 17 October 2018.

Credit: United Launch Alliance

An Atlas V rocket will light the midnight sky over Florida early Wednesday, October 17 to launch a new high-tech military satellite in orbit. You can follow the takeoff live online.

The launch of the new United Alliance Alliance Atlas V satellite, named AEHF-4 (Very High Frequency Evolved 4), is to be launched from Cape Canaveral Air Base at 12:15 pm EDT (0415 GMT). You can watch a live webcast live here, courtesy of ULA, starting at 11:55 pm. HAE (0355 GMT).

Built by Lockheed Martin, AEHF-4 is the fourth in a series of a series of high-powered military communications designed to "provide surviving, comprehensive, secure and traffic-resistant communications for high-priority military, land, maritime and air assets," according to a description of the US Air Force. The satellite would have cost about $ 1.8 billion, according to SpaceNews.

"This fourth satellite will complete a series of AEHF satellites around the world to provide global extended data rate (XDR) coverage to the US Air Force and partner countries – Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. – also connected to the AEHF network, "Mike Cacheiro, Lockheed Martin Vice President of Protected Communications, said in a statement.

The first AEHF satellite launched in 2010. Lockheed Martin is building a total of six satellites for the US military. The new AEHF satellites replace the old Milstar military constellation. A single AEHF satellite has more communication capacity than the five Milstar satellites, Lockheed Martin officials said.

The High Frequency Advanced Communications Satellite 4 for the US Armed Forces is the fourth in a six-satellite constellation.

The High Frequency Advanced Communications Satellite 4 for the US Armed Forces is the fourth in a six-satellite constellation.

Credit: Lockheed Martin

"This is an important asset to the fighter and it will be used in the years to come," said General John Thompson, of the US Air Force Space Systems Systems Center in Los Angeles, about the # 39; AEHF-4. in a report when the satellite was delivered to its launch site in July.

Editor's note: Visit Space.com tonight to watch the live video of the AEHF-4 satellite launch. If you're capturing an amazing photo or video of the launch you'd like to share with Space.com and our partners for a possible story or image gallery, send images and comments to [email protected].

Email Tariq Malik at [email protected] or follow him. @tariqjmalik. follow us @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Original article on Space.com.

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