The US military space mission’s Atlas V rocket launch was delayed to Monday. How to watch live.
Update for 8pm ET, December 4th: United Launch Alliance has postponed the launch of Space Test Program 3’s STP-3 mission for the United States Space Force no earlier than Monday, December 6 due to a leak in a rocket system’s reservoir. ground push-1 (RP-1). . Lifoff is set at 4:04 a.m. EST (0904 GMT) on December 6.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – United Launch Alliance (ULA) will launch a Atlas V rocket into space early Sunday morning (December 5) and you can watch the action live online.
The two-stage rocket is expected to explode from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 4:04 a.m. EST (0904 GMT), carrying multiple payloads for US Space Force on a mission known as STP-3 (Space Test Program-3).
You can see Sunday rocket launch at Space.com here, with permission from ULA, or directly through the company.
Related: The history of rockets
The 196-foot (59.7-meter) rocket is set to launch at its heaviest configuration: the 551. This means the rocket is powered by five strap-mounted solid rocket engines, one engine. Centaur above, and the payload was concealed inside a 16.4 foot (5 m) wide shield.
This version of Atlas V has launched several high payloads over the years, including NASA’s Curiosity and Persistence Mars explorer.
The rocket rolled off the launch pad on Friday (December 3), making a 1,800-foot (550 m) journey from ULA’s vertically integrated facility to the launch pad.
Inside the payload are two satellites, each containing a series of technological prototypes and experiments to be tested in orbit.
Most of the payloads, funded by the US military’s Space Test Program – a division that oversees space-related activities of the Department of Defense – are classified. However, the larger of the two, called STPSat-6, is also carrying a New laser communication payload for NASA.
There is also a payload for the National Nuclear Security Administration designed to detect nuclear explosions from space.
The smaller “rideshare” satellite, called LDPE-1 (EPSA extended period of propulsion spacecraft), will test a space propulsion system and other technologies.
Sunday morning’s launch will be ULA’s 190th overall flight and the company’s longest mission to date, according to a ULA representative.
“STP-3 is a unique mission, as Atlas V will deliver STP-3 directly into Geosynchronous Equatorial Orbit (GEO). This is a very complex orbital insertion method that requires three nodes. Centaur and precise navigation, a capability unique to Atlas V,” Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of commercial and government programs, said in a statement. “This is our longest mission to date, at seven o’clock and 10 minutes until the final spacecraft separation.”
The launch follows SpaceX’s 27th rocket launch of the year, which exploded from an adjacent platform on Thursday night (December 2) and put 50 satellites into orbit, which includes 48 of the company’s Starlink Internet devices.
Forecasters at the 45th Space Delta said there is a 90% chance of meeting favorable conditions to take off on time early Sunday morning. The weather deteriorated a bit on Monday (December 4) so have a backup plan if needed.
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https://www.space.com/space-force-stp-3-launch-preview The US military space mission’s Atlas V rocket launch was delayed to Monday. How to watch live.