The U.S. bans export to lots of banal-sounding firms such as London's Atlas Air Conditioning, SIRM Holdings in Rome and Vinale Tours in Cancun, Mexico.

FORBES: Customs Solution

Michael A. Chowdry, CEO of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc.

WSJ: Executive No-Fly Zone? When a CEO's Thrill-Seeking Rattles the Board

It saw the Landsat-8 mission hurtle skywards on an Atlas rocket from the US Air Force base at Vandenberg shortly after 10:00 local time (18:00 GMT).

BBC: Lift-off for latest Landsat mission

Fourteen of the world's top 25 air cargo carriers are Atlas customers, and Chowdry has the rest in his flight path.

FORBES: Follow-Through

Those planes are long gone, and all that's left is Atlas' famously low cost structure and a constantly growing market in air cargo.

FORBES: Follow-Through