Atlas V rocket launch generates light show over Florida skies

It was the 100th consecutive successful rocket launch by United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — The pre-dawn launch of an Atlas V rocket blazed another bold streak of white across much of the Florida sky early Friday.

The United Launch Alliance vehicle thundered upward with no problems, blazing a trail of white, tinged with orange, through several layers of clouds. The rocket carried a Mexican communication satellite into space.

It was not visible in much of greater Orlando because of cloud cover. But down the coast, as far away as Miami-Dade County, the rocket’s vapor trail again treated viewers to bold im- ages.

This time, it was not as confounding as those from a previous ULA launch in early September, which came as the sun rose and created odd, back-lit clouds. That led some to incorrectly wonder if they had witnessed an exploding rocket, a UFO or a meteor.

On Friday, in southwest Miami-Dade, resident Rosie Mann posted photos showing an illuminated, horizontal teardrop of plume.

From Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center, all looked flawless.

“Liftoff of the 100th United Launch Alliance rocket!” declared ULA commentator Steve Agid as the rocket rose.

It was the100th consecutive successful rocket launch by United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin and Boeing and the 55th consecutive successful launch of the Lockheed Martin-made At- las V. That prompted Steve Skladanek, president of Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services, to declare that the world considers the Atlas V to be “the gold standard” of rockets.

“Atlas has almost a perfect record in assuring that we not only achieve mission success, but in launching on time,” Skladanek said.

This blast off was delayed 20 minutes from its original 6:08 a.m. launch time when an unidentified boat wandered into a restricted area of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Morelos-3 satellite carried by the rocket adds to a collection that delivers advanced telecommunications throughout Mexico.

PHOTO/JOE MARINO The pre-dawn launch of a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket with a Mexican communication satellite was visible off Pompano Beach and created this strange vapor trail.