CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The newly established U.S. Space Force has launched its first national security satellite.

An Atlas V rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with the satellite Thursday.

It is the sixth and final satellite in the series that provide protected communication for the military around the world.

The chief executive of United Launch Alliance, the rocket maker, says non-essential workers were barred from the launch control room to reduce the size of the crowd.

Chief Tory Bruno says surfaces were cleaned to guard against coronavirus, but it wasn't possible to keep all staff 6 feet apart.

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