A rocket launched Wednesday morning in Florida with a very important satellite on board, a satellite made in Silicon Valley.
The U.S. Navy's fourth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS-4) satellite was built by Lockheed Martin in Sunnyvale.
The satellite aims to bring mobile technology, kind of like civilians use, to the U.S. military. Once securely in space, MUOS-4will help American armed forces communicate safely.
"This means, anywhere in the world, you're gonna get coverage,” said Lockheed Martin’s Mark Lewis. “High-speed voice, data, and video for secure mobile users. That's not been a possibility before."
It's the latest in a network of satellites bringing the kind of mobile technology we all use to our military – with a lot of security built in.
And as early as the launch was – 6:18 a.m. EDT – Silicon Valley employees were on hand at Cape Canaveral, wide awake and ready to see their handiwork take off.
"It's a huge sense of pride for Lockheed Martin and Silicon Valley that we can create unique communication technology,” Lewis said.
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But the job’s not done yet. Another satellite in the network is being built in Sunnyvale. It will likely launch next year.
