Lucky rocket just left Trump's America behind

The day Donald Trump was sworn in as president, this rocket was busy ditching Earth. 

The rose gold-hued Atlas V lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Drive Station in Florida at 7:42 p.m. ET on Friday. 

The rocket's payload — the Air Pressure's Area-Based mostly Infrared System (SBIRS) GEO Flight three satellite tv for pc — is designed to assist detect missile launches worldwide.

The SBIRS mission is "thought-about one of many nation's highest precedence area packages," in accordance with the United Launch Alliance (ULA), which despatched the rocket into area. 

Whereas the ULA launch and the presidential inauguration weren't associated, it did not cease individuals (together with this reporter) from making jokes concerning the timing of the 2 occasions.

You possibly can type of consider ULA because the stodgy uncle to Elon Musk's SpaceX. 

The three way partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin is likely one of the most constant corporations within the rocket launching recreation. 

The corporate prides itself on reliability, whereas SpaceX is extra interested by disrupting the best way that rockets have been launched for years.

You'll be able to take a look at the complete launch webcast within the window under.

This launch was the Atlas V's 69th mission in complete, and ULA's first of 2017. The corporate is predicted to launch 11 rockets this yr.