United Launch Alliance Delivers a 1-2 K.O. Rocket Launch

Cape Canaveral, Fl — At 6:18a.m. on Sept. 2, Space Coast residents were treated to one of the most awe-inspiring wake up calls they can get — right from their backyards! The United Launch Alliance (UAL) launched the most powerful version of its Atlas-V class rockets (Atlas-V 551) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base, Complex 41.

The payload consisted of a forward unit communications satellite (MUOS-4) for the US Navy. A great combination of events left spectators and lucky onlookers dumbfounded.

1. Sunrise on the beach. This picture was snapped moments after liftoff of the Atlas-V Rocket. Sunrises from the beach are one of the most breathtaking times to be outside.

2. Rockets… At night. Rockets launch from various places all over the world, but night launches are the most appealing because of how visible and striking they appear.

KO! Put them both together, and you can see why space coast residents are spoiled rotten when it comes to space vehicle observation. NASA and the United Launch Alliance may have only been operating under the launch window, but a fortunate chain of events allowed for the event to be once-in-a-lifetime.