CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida -- The Atlas V
531 rocket launched successfully from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air
Force Station on Friday, May 3, 2012 at 2:42 p.m. Eastern Daylight
Time. This was United Launch Alliance's fourth launch of an aggressive 11 launch mission schedule for the year.
The United Launch Alliance rocket will
carry an Extremely High Frequency-2 (AEHF-2) communications satellite
for the military. The AEHF system is the successor to the
five-satellite Milstar constellation which will provide improved and
highly secured communications for national security purposes.