The new European Data Relay System (EDRS) was launched into the atmosphere atop a rocket by the European Space Agency (ESA) from French Guiana on Tuesday. The EDRS aims to create what has been called the "Space Data Highway" — a high-speed network that can transfer optical data from satellites to Earth in near-real-time. It is the most sophisticated laser communication network ever designed, said the ESA.

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket took to the skies early this morning (Aug. 8), delivering a highly advanced communications satellite into space for the U.S. Air Force.

The rocket, outfitted with five strap-on solid rocket motors, leapt off the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 6:13 a.m. (1013GMT) after a 29-minute delay due to minor technical glitches that were quickly solved.

Perched atop the rocket was the Air Force's fifth Advanced Extremely High Frequency spacecraft (AEHF-5), a secure military communications satellite that will provide jam-proof communications — including real-time video — between U.S. national leadership and deployed military forces.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the U.S. Air Force's Advanced Extremely High Frequency 5 military communications satellite lifts off from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Aug. 8, 2019. (Image credit: United Launch Alliance)

An advanced military satellite

The $1.1 billion AEHF constellation is built by Lockheed Martin and will ultimately consist of six satellites, replacing the military's aging Milstar constellation. Working in tandem, the satellites will provide coverage from a perch in geostationary orbit, meaning that they will drift along with the planet’s rotation, providing coverage over the same position above the Earth.

Today’s launch marks the 80th flight of an Atlas V overall, and the 10th in the 551 configuration. The most powerful version of the Atlas V, the 551 comes with five solid rocket motors, a 16.4-foot-wide (5 meters) payload fairing, and a single-engine Centaur upper stage.

The rocket also carried to space an experimental cubesat, which is also owned by the U.S. military. The tiny hitchhiker will separate from the rocket's upper stage before AEHF-5 and will test new orbital debris-tracking technologies.

The predawn launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the AEHF-5 U.S. military satellite created a dazzling site for observers near the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station launch site in Florida at 6:13 a.m. EDT on Aug. 8, 2019. (Image credit: Amy Thompson/Space.com)

Originally scheduled to fly on June 25, today's launch was pushed back after a component failed during fina checkouts. Crews removed the suspect hardware and rescheduled the launch.

The early morning launch marked the second liftoff from Florida in just under 48 hours. On Tuesday evening (Aug. 6), a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket ferried the Israeli communications satellite Amos-17 to orbit.

With the number of launch providers setting up shop at the Cape continually increasing, the Air Force has been streamlining its processes and updating infrastructure to be in a better position to support more launches with less downtime in between. Their eventual goal is to launch multiple vehicles within 24 hours, Air Force officials have said.

The Air Force is optimistic that same-day launches are on the horizon; however, that achievement would still depend on which launch complexes the vehicles were launched from and what range resources were needed.

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