UK's Skynet military satellite launched

A powerful new telecommunications satellite for the UK military has blasted into orbit.

The five-tonne Skynet-5D platform was sent up on an Ariane rocket from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana.

It complements three others already in operation, enabling British forces to stay connected over most of the globe.

The Skynet system, which includes the radio equipment deployed on ships, on vehicles and in the hands of troops, is the UK's single biggest space project.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20781625

Unfortunate name.