SBIRS GEO 5

United Launch Alliance nears first fueling test on Vulcan rocket

A pathfinder core stage fr ULA’s Vulcan rocket on pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station earlier this year. The Vertical Integration Facility is pictured in the background.. Credit: United Launch Alliance United Launch Alliance could load cryogenic methane and liquid oxygen propellants into a Vulcan rocket test article at Cape Canaveral for the …

United Launch Alliance nears first fueling test on Vulcan rocket Read More »

Photos: ULA’s Atlas 5 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral

Carrying a sophisticated billion-dollar missile detection satellite for the U.S. military, a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral on Tuesday with 1.6 million pounds of thrust from a Russian RD-180 main engine and twin solid rocket boosters. The 194-foot-tall (59-meter) Atlas 5 rocket lifted off at 1:37 p.m. EDT (1737 …

Photos: ULA’s Atlas 5 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Read More »

Atlas 5 rocket launches infrared missile detection satellite for U.S. Space Force

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket blasts off with the U.S. military’s SBIRS GEO 5 satellite. Credit: Alex Polimeni / Spaceflight Now An upgraded, cyber-hardened $1 billion satellite to support the U.S. military’s missile defense systems rode into orbit from Cape Canaveral Tuesday at the tip of a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket. …

Atlas 5 rocket launches infrared missile detection satellite for U.S. Space Force Read More »

Problem during fueling preps forces Atlas 5 launch delay

The payload shroud of ULA’s Atlas 5 rocket, containing the SBIRS GEO 5 missile warning satellite. Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now United Launch Alliance called off a launch attempt Monday after hitting a snag during preparations to fill an Atlas 5 rocket with cryogenic propellants at Cape Canaveral, delaying the liftoff of a new U.S. Space …

Problem during fueling preps forces Atlas 5 launch delay Read More »

Photos: Atlas 5 ready for liftoff with SBIRS GEO 5

These photos show a 194-foot-tall (59-meter) United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket standing on pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in advance of a planned launch with the U.S. Space Force’s fifth SBIRS missile warning satellite. The Atlas 5 rocket is set for launch during a 40-minute window opening at 1:35 p.m. EDT …

Photos: Atlas 5 ready for liftoff with SBIRS GEO 5 Read More »

U.S. military warning sentinel attached to Atlas 5 rocket at Cape Canaveral

The U.S. Space Force’s fifth SBIRS GEO early warning satellite — encapsulated inside the Atlas 5 rocket’s payload shroud — arrives at the Vertical Integration Facility on May 7. Credit: United Launch Alliance United Launch Alliance crews at Cape Canaveral have topped off an Atlas 5 rocket for liftoff Monday with the U.S. military’s next …

U.S. military warning sentinel attached to Atlas 5 rocket at Cape Canaveral Read More »

U.S. Space Force’s next missile warning satellite arrives at Florida launch base

The SBIRS GEO 5 satellite enters a thermal vacuum chamber last year at Lockheed Martin’s factory in Sunnyvale, California. Credit: Lockheed Martin A billion-dollar missile warning satellite built by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Space Force arrived at Cape Canaveral earlier this month to kick off final preparations for launch May 17 aboard a United …

U.S. Space Force’s next missile warning satellite arrives at Florida launch base Read More »