The Atlas V rocket is being prepared to launch astronauts from Florida as soon as 2017, so its performance now has implications not only for high-value national security and science payloads but for human spaceflight.
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The launch came as the Air Force celebrates the 20 anniversary of the GPS constellation becoming a fully global service providing highly accurate mapping, navigation and pinpoint timing services for military and civilian use.
United Launch Alliance is scheduled to launch a Global Positioning System satellite for the Air Force into space Wednesday from Cape Canaveral.
Air Force officials said the disintegration of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 more than two minutes into a June 28 launch for NASA prompted a check of any similar components that rocket might share with the Atlas V, which was cleared for flight. The Boeing-built satellites’ signals also will be available for civilian use.
The system is operated and controlled by the 50th Space Wing, located at Schriever Air Force Base, CO.
Boeing will support the Air Force in performing on-orbit checkout of Global Positioning System IIF-10 before it is formally declared operational in about one month. The rocket’s first stage is powered by the Russian-built RD-180 engine, purchases of which are now banned as part of trade sanctions the United States imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula a year ago. The final members of the 2F constellation are slated to fly on Atlas 5 rockets in October 2015 and in February 2016. The new satellite will replace an older spacecraft in the current 31-satellite fleet, which will serve as an on-orbit backup.
United Launch Alliance has little time to rest however.
ULA has an 18-minute launch window beginning at 11:36AM ET.
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Launch Weather: 70 percent “go”.
