A United Launch Alliance Delta IV M+(5,4) rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 37B at 0:18 UTC on Sunday, March 18, 2017, embarking on a 42-minute climb to orbit with the ninth satellite in the Wideband Global Satcom System

The ninth Wideband Global Satcom Satellite is encapsulated in its protective payload fairing and placed atop a Delta IV launch vehicle in preparation for a March 2017 liftoff to join the U.S. military’s worldwide high-capacity communications system keeping deployed troops connected.