2012-009

Atlas-5(551)

USA
The U.S. Navy's first Mobile User Objective System satellite, dubbed MUOS 1, is hoisted into the open doorway at the Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral's Complex 41 for attachment atop the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket.


The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket is rolled out to the pad at Cape Canaveral's Complex 41:

Febr 18, 2012: The Atlas 5 rocket sits on Complex 41 following a pair of weather-related scrubs awaiting rollback to the assembly building. The rocket will stay in the nearby hangar for a few days until the Eastern Range becomes available again for the next launch attempt.



The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket blasts off at 5:15 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral's Complex 41 carrying the U.S. Navy's Mobile User Objective System 1 satellite to begin constructing a new space-based constellation for global mobile communications



The Atlas 5 rocket ascends from Complex 41.

Solid rocket booster separation.

Sunset from Centaur camera.


Credit: Spaceflight Now
Launch vehicle: Atlas-5(551)
Launch vehicle ID: AV-030
 Centaur #200
Payload: MUOS 1
Launch date: 24 Feb 2012
Launch site: CC, SLC-41
 Some stats about today's mission. This will be:
  • The 611th launch for Atlas program since 1957
  • The 323rd Atlas to occur from Cape Canaveral
  • The 200th mission for Centaur upper stage
  • The 177th use of Centaur by an Atlas rocket
  • The 29th launch of an Atlas 5 since 2002
  • The 25th Atlas 5 to occur from the Cape
  • The 21st Atlas 5 under United Launch Alliance
  • The 8th Atlas 5 launch overseen by the Air Force
  • The 9th 500-series flight of the Atlas 5
  • The 3rd Atlas 5 to fly in the 551 configuration
  • The 1st Atlas launch of 2012

Ref: #12, #206, #254 - update: 27.12.12