US Space Force launches first mission

The United States Space Force launched its first national security mission Thursday, sending an ultra-secure military communication satellite into orbit even as the coronavirus pandemic paralyzes much of the country.
The Lockheed Martin Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 4:18 pm (2018 GMT) aboard an Atlas V551 rocket. AEHF-6, as the satellite is called, is the sixth and final in the Lockheed Martin AEHF constellation.
It will join the other five, which were launched between 2010 and 2019, on Friday around 0400 GMT after reaching geostationary orbit. The satellite constellation provides "global, survivable, protected communications capabilities for strategic command and tactical warfighters operating on ground, sea and air platforms," according to Lockheed Martin.