Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Dec. 5 Live Broadcast: Atlas V STP-3

Watch live on Sun. Dec. 5, 2021 as ULA's Atlas V rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station with the Space Test Program (STP)-3 mission for the...

Launch of NASA's Laser Communications Relay Demonstration — LCRD Official Launch Coverage

Watch the liftoff of our Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The two-hour launch window opens...

STP-3

Overview

Destination: Geostationary Orbit
Mission: Dedicated Rideshare

Geostationary Orbit Space Launch Complex 41 Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA Probability: 95%

Rideshare mission with the STPSat-6 satellite and six secondary payloads for the US Air Force. STPSat-6 carries the NNSA's Space and Atmospheric Burst Reporting System-3 (SABRS-3) payload and NASA's Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) experiment.

Telemetry

Launch trajectory and telemetry simulations provided by Flight Club - a rocket launch simulator and orbital trajectory visualiser for all things space!

Updates

SwGustav • Dec. 7, 2021, 6:02 p.m.

Mission success confirmed


SwGustav • Dec. 5, 2021, 12:11 a.m.

24 hour delay



spacevogel • Nov. 22, 2021, 7:14 p.m.

Delayed due to bad weather during launch vehicle processing.


Cosmic_Penguin • Nov. 11, 2021, 9:51 a.m.

New launch window.


Atlas V 551

Family:
Configuration: 551

Atlas V is an expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. It was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin and is now operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture with Boeing. Each Atlas V rocket uses a Russian-built RD-180 engine burning kerosene and liquid oxygen to power its first stage and an American-built RL10 engine burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to power its Centaur upper stage. The RD-180 engines are provided by RD Amross, while Aerojet Rocketdyne provides both the RL10 engines and the strap-on boosters used in some configurations. The standard payload fairing sizes are 4 or 5 meters in diameter and of various lengths. Fairings sizes as large as 7.2 m in diameter and up to 32.3 m in length have been considered. The rocket is assembled in Decatur, Alabama and Harlingen, Texas.

Specifications
  • Minimum Stage
    1
  • Max Stage
    2
  • Length
    59.7 m
  • Diameter
    3.8 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.4 m
  • Launch Mass
    573.0 T
  • Thrust
    12269.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Atlas V 551
  • Family
  • Variant
    551
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Atlas V 551
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $153000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    18850.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    8890.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
    3850.0 kg
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

United Launch Alliance

United Launch Alliance

(ULA)

CEO: Tory Bruno Founded: 2006 Successes: 167 Failures: 0 Pending: 42

Agency Type:

United Launch Alliance (ULA) is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. ULA was formed in December 2006 by combining the teams at these companies which provide spacecraft launch services to the government of the United States. ULA launches from both coasts of the US. They launch their Atlas V vehicle from LC-41 in Cape Canaveral and LC-3E at Vandeberg. Their Delta IV launches from LC-37 at Cape Canaveral and LC-6 at Vandenberg.

INFO WIKI

Related News

Spaceflight Now

Atlas 5 rocket launches Space Force tech demo satellites on marathon mission

United Launch Alliance deployed two U.S. Space Force technology demonstration satellites into an on-target orbit more than 22,000 miles over the equator Tuesday after a booming blastoff before dawn from Cape Canaveral on an Atlas 5 rocket.

NASA

NASA’s Laser Communications Tech, Science Experiment Safely in Space

NASA's Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and a NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory space weather payload to study the Sun’s radiation lifted off at 5:19 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Dec. 7.

SpaceNews

ULA launches STP-3 mission with national security and NASA payloads

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket on Dec. 7 launched the Space Test Program-3 (STP-3) mission for the U.S. Space Force. The rocket lifted off at 5:19 a.m. Eastern from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fl…

Spaceflight Now

NASA laser communications experiment set for launch into geosynchronous orbit

A $320 million NASA experiment to demonstrate high-speed laser communications links between a satellite and stations on the ground is poised for launch Tuesday, tagging along for a ride to geosynchronous orbit on a U.S. Space Force mission…

Spaceflight Now

Fuel leak at launch pad delays Atlas 5 mission

United Launch Alliance delayed the planned launch of an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Sunday after discovering a kerosene fuel leak in the launch pad’s ground storage system. Officials tentatively rescheduled launch with two U.S. mili…

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Space Launch Complex 41


Vulcan VC4S
Success
9 hours, 33 minutes ago
USSF-106
Space Launch Complex 41 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

USSF-106 is a mission for the United States Space Force. The launch will deploy various payloads directly into geosynchronous orbit, including the NT…


Ariane 62
Success
9 hours, 51 minutes ago
Metop-SG A1
Ariane Launch Area 4 - Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

First of EUMETSAT's second generation of Metop weather satellites.


Falcon 9
Success
1 day, 21 hours ago
Project Kuiper (KF-02)
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Second of a three launches contract for Amazon's Kuiper low Earth orbit satellite internet constellation. 24 satellites are on board.


Smart Dragon 3
Success
4 days, 17 hours ago
Geely Constellation Group 04
Oriental Spaceport mobile launch ship - Sea Launch

11 LEO communications satellites for Chinese car manufacturer Geely Automotive for testing autonomous driving/inter-vehicle communication services. T…


Electron
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
The Harvest Goddess Thrives (iQPS Launch 4)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Synthetic aperture radar Earth observation satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company iQPS.


Long March 12
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
SatNet LEO Group 07
Commercial LC-2 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group.…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Starlink Group 10-30
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


New Shepard
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
NS-34
West Texas Suborbital Launch Site/ Corn Ranch - Corn Ranch, Van Horn, TX, USA

NS-34 is the 14th crewed flight for the New Shepard program and the 34th in its history.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
Crew-11
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

SpaceX Crew-11 is the eleventh crewed operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial …


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
Starlink Group 13-4
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 19 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.