Watch the Launch

Watch the Launch

Additional Media

May 18 Live Broadcast: Atlas V SBIRS GEO Flight 5

Watch live as ULA's Atlas V rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida from Space Launch Complex-41 with the SBIRS GEO Flight-5 mission for the U.S. Space Force Space and Missi...

SBIRS GEO-5

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Geostationary Transfer Orbit
Mission: Government/Top Secret

Geostationary Transfer Orbit Space Launch Complex 41 Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Fifth geosynchronous satellite of the Space Based Infrared System program (SBIRS), providing capabilities for early missile warning and missile defense. SBIRS GEO-5 is the first satellite using Lockheed Martin's LM2100 combat bus.

Updates

Nosu • May 18, 2021, 6:54 p.m.

Successful launch


Cosmic_Penguin • May 17, 2021, 4:39 p.m.

Scrubbed for the day.


Cosmic_Penguin • May 17, 2021, 3:50 p.m.

HOLDING


Cosmic_Penguin • May 17, 2021, 2:49 a.m.

Updated launch window.


SwGustav • May 14, 2021, 1:47 a.m.

Weather 90% GO


Atlas V 421

Family:
Configuration: 421

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 421 version uses a 4m wide fairing, 2 solid rocket boosters and one engine on the Centaur stage.

See Details
Specifications
  • Max Stage
    2
  • Length
    58.3 m
  • Diameter
    3.8 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    ―
  • Launch Mass
    433.0 T
  • Thrust
    ―
Family
  • Name
    Atlas V 421
  • Family
    ―
  • Variant
    421
  • Alias
    ―
  • Full Name
    Atlas V 421
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $123000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    14067.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    6890.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
    ―
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    ―

United Launch Alliance

United Launch Alliance

(ULA)

CEO: Mark Peller Founded: 2006 Successes: 175 Failures: 0 Pending: 72

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
Spaceflight Now

Watch new ‘rocketcam’ footage from last week’s Atlas 5 launch

United Launch Alliance has released new video from cameras mounted aboard an Atlas 5 rocket that lifted off May 18 from Cape Canaveral to haul a U.S. military missile-detection satellite into orbit.

Spaceflight Now

Photos: ULA’s Atlas 5 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral

Carrying a sophisticated billion-dollar missile detection satellite for the U.S. military, a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral on Tuesday with 1.6 million pounds of thrust from a Russian RD-180 main engin…

Spaceflight Now

Problem during fueling preps forces Atlas 5 launch delay

United Launch Alliance called off a launch attempt Monday after hitting a snag during preparations to fill an Atlas 5 rocket with cryogenic propellants at Cape Canaveral, delaying the liftoff of a new U.S. Space Force infrared surveillance…

Spaceflight Now

Atlas 5 rocket launches infrared missile detection satellite for U.S. Space Force

An upgraded, cyber-hardened $1 billion satellite to support the U.S. military’s missile defense systems rode into orbit from Cape Canaveral Tuesday at the tip of a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket.

SpaceNews

ULA launches U.S. Space Force missile-warning satellite, two rideshare cubesats

An Atlas 5 rocket carrying a U.S. Space Force missile-warning satellite and two small payloads lifted off May 18 at 1:37 p.m. Eastern from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Space Launch Complex 41


Long March 12
Success
18 hours, 55 minutes ago
SatNet LEO Group 29
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.…


Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M
Success
2 days, 1 hour ago
Glonass-K1? (Kosmos 2621?)
43/3 (43L) - Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

Note: Payload identity uncertain. Glonass-K are the third generation of satellite design for GLONASS satellite navigation system. GLONASS is a Rus…


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 14 hours ago
USSF-432
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A classified mission for the United States Space Force. It is possibly a batch of classified LEO satellites based on SpaceX’s Starshield satellite bu…


Ceres-2
Success
2 days, 15 hours ago
4 satellites
Launch Area 95A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Share-ride of 4 commercial Earth observation and technology demonstration satellites to SSO, details TBD.


Long March 2C
Success
3 days, 23 hours ago
Yaogan 51-07 to 09
Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

3 Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.


Kinetica 2
Success
6 days, 15 hours ago
SpaceSail Polar Group #17
Launch Area 140 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

18 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies with…


Electron
Success
6 days, 22 hours ago
The Sea God Surveys (iQPS Launch 9)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

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


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Starlink Group 15-18
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


GSLV Mk II
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
IRNSS-1L (NVS-03)
Satish Dhawan Space Centre Second Launch Pad - Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India

This is a replacement satellite for the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. The constellation will provide India with an alternative to GPS …


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
Starlink Group 15-16
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.