Rocket launch honors September 11 victims
By Richard Stenger
CNN
(CNN) -- A military satellite roared into orbit on Wednesday, ferried atop a booster rocket that carried a phrase in tribute to victims of one of the September 11 terror attacks.
The Delta 2 rocket, which launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, had "Let's Roll!" written on the nose cone.
Todd Beamer spoke the words, overheard on a cell phone, moments before he and other airplane passengers charged terrorists who had taken control of Flight 93, which crashed in western Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001.
The U.S. Air Force has placed the phrase on various military aircraft to recognize the heroes and victims of the 2001 attacks.
The Boeing-built rocket launch was to place a 2.3-ton global positioning system (GPS) satellite into orbit. The satellite will join a constellation of GPS orbiters that help guide high-tech weapons.
The GPS spacecraft also provide navigation and positioning information for civilian use worldwide.
The $130 million mission was also to deploy an XSS-10 satellite, an experimental Air Force spacecraft that weighs only 62 pounds (23 kg).
