Future missions will switch to GEM 63 boosters manufactured by Northrop Grumman.Įach of the 66-foot-long (20 m) GEM 63 rocket motors pack an extra 373,800 pounds of thrust. The rocket's strap-on rocket motors were also supplied by Aerojet Rocketdyne, and this flight marks the final military mission to use these particular boosters. The SBIRS GEO-5 satellite enters a vacuum chamber at Lockheed Martin's Sunnyvale, California during prelaunch testing. It's also the 87th overall flight of an Atlas V since its debut in 2002. Today's flight will be the eighth time overall that an Atlas V has flown in the 421 configuration, and the first mission to use the newly upgraded RL-10 engine. A single RL-10 engine, made by Aerojet Rocketdyne, will power Atlas V's Centaur upper stage. The vehicle will fly in the "421" configuration, with two solid rocket motors, a 13.12-foot (4 meters) diameter payload fairing. Related: Pentagon picks SpaceX, ULA to launch national security missionsĪtlas V is fueled by a mix of liquid oxygen and RP-1, a refined form of kerosene used for spaceflight, and liquid hydrogen in its upper stage, which was loaded into the rocket Saturday afternoon. Once in place, crews began to prep the rocket for its flight. The two-stage Atlas V rolled out to the pad from its nearby integration facility on Saturday (May 15).
Space Force said during a prelaunch briefing. "SBIRS data informs many of our country's defense systems, which together form a massive protective missile kill chain to defend our nation and our armed forces," Col. and allied forces to prepare for any impending attacks, officials said. Military officials have said that the satellite, built by Lockheed Martin for $1 billion, can detect and track hot plumes from missile launches around the world using infrared sensors. Weather forecasters predict a 90% chance of favorable conditions for SBIRS Geo-5's liftoff on Monday afternoon, with the only cause for concern being cumulus clouds. Related: Declassified US spy satellite photos & designs (gallery) Following a successful second flight test, Boeing will launch its first crew of astronauts later this year.
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2019, failed to reach the space station due to a software issue. That mission, called OFT-2, will be the spacecraft's second uncrewed orbital flight test. However, the company has a busy summer planned, including the launch of Boeing's Starliner crew capsule to the International Space Station. (Image credit: United Launch Alliance)ĭesignated Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit Flight 5 (SBIRS Geo-5), the mission marks ULA's first launch so far this year. Space Force stands atop Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for a launch. A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the SBIRS Geo-5 missile detection satellite for the U.S.
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