Lifting off at 20:04 EST from LC-41 at Cape Canaveral, the United Launch Alliance conducted its first launch of the new year. The Atlas V rocket delivered the MUOS-3 satellite to orbit.
MUOS stands for Mobile User Objective System. The system is a next-generation tactical satellite communications system designed to significantly improve ground communications for U.S. forces on the move. MUOS will provide military users more communications capability over existing systems, including simultaneous voice, video and data - similar to the capabilities experienced today with smart phones.
MUOS stands for Mobile User Objective System. The system is a next-generation tactical satellite communications system designed to significantly improve ground communications for U.S. forces on the move. MUOS will provide military users more communications capability over existing systems, including simultaneous voice, video and data - similar to the capabilities experienced today with smart phones.
The Atlas 5 rocket, operated by ULA, delivered the satellite to orbit. The rocket was in a 551 configuration, which means there were five strap-on solid rocket boosters and a five metre nose cone in operation for the launch. The Centaur upper stage was used to deliver the MUOS 3 satellite into an initial orbit about three hours after launch. The flight marked the 200th flight of the Centaur upper stage aboard an Atlas rocket, with it first being used all the way back in 1962. The satellite itself will then manoeuvre itself into its final geostationary orbit in the coming days.
This was the first of thirteen missions to be conducted by ULA in 2015. This is one down from what was executed last year, an impressive fourteen launches. Indeed, ULA CEO Tony Bruno hailed last year as being a “banner year” for ULA.
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This was the first of thirteen missions to be conducted by ULA in 2015. This is one down from what was executed last year, an impressive fourteen launches. Indeed, ULA CEO Tony Bruno hailed last year as being a “banner year” for ULA.
OTHER NEWS THIS WEEK
Dawn takes new images of Ceres
ESA releases image of Venus' south pole vortex
Asteroid to zip past Earth later this month
Gas and dust jets from Comet 67P