Atlas V rocket carrying NASA communications satellite launches

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket blasted off Friday morning from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The rocket delivered into space the TDRS-M communications and data relay satellite for NASA.

The satellite, which was built by Boeing, will allow scientists, engineers and control room staff to access data for missions such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station.

Visitor Bruce Tollefson said he traveled to Brevard County one day early to witness the launch.

"We are here in town to catch a cruise ship tomorrow, and the launch is this morning," he said. "I thought I would come down a little earlier and see it."

A 40-minute launch window opened at 8:03 a.m., but the rocket didn't launch until 8:29 a.m.

About the Author

Jason Kelly, WFTV.com

Osprey came back from the brink once. Now chicks are dying in nests, and some blame overfishing

3m ago

FEMA removed dozens of Camp Mystic buildings from 100-year flood map before expansion, records show

16m ago

Russia warns US, South Korea and Japan against forming security alliance targeting North Korea

25m ago

Featured

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Georgia disability rights advocates fear weakening of U.S. accessibility law

Advocates worry the Department of Energy’s move could be the start of a broader effort by other federal agencies to roll back civil rights rules.

From boycott to ballgame: Baseball’s political All-Star Game saga returns to Georgia

MLB pulled the 2021 All-Star Game from Georgia over the state's voting law, Senate Bill 202. Now it’s back — and Republicans say the return proves they were right all along.

OPINION

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ tour pushes fans outside the norm

Preparations for the show pushed people out of their comfort zones — into new stores, new communities, a new style of dress, and in some cases, to visit new cities.