[NonValueAdded]

OK, wise answer out of my system.

"It's the last of the Navy's "UFO" or Ultra high-frequency Follow-On satellites, which allow people in all branches of the military to talk securely between the ground, ships and airplanes, often with small, portable terminals. " according to Florida Today (who's web coverage seems to have surpassed space.com - Lou Dobbs, take note!). The Navy probably took the lead for budgetary and mission requirement reasons and it is deemed "commercial" since they probably haave an arms-length outsourcing agreement with International Launch Service. That is a guess and I'm sure another FReeper will correct or augment the info.

ILS partners are Lockheed Martin and Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. They launch the Atlas and Proton rockets. Interesting.

[Stars N Stripes]

0223 GMT (9:23 p.m. EST)

SCRUB! Tonight's launch attempt is being scrubbed.

0222 GMT (9:22 p.m. EST)

Anomaly Resolution Team says its sees a warming of the Atlas stage liquid oxygen fill and drain valve bolt-cutter temperature. So the approval has been given to start topping the oyxgen tank to flight level.

Meanwhile, an inhibited self test of the rocket's Flight Termination System is starting. The FTS would be used to destroy the vehicle in the event of a malfunction during launch.

0219 GMT (9:19 p.m. EST)

BUMMER!!!