Watch ULA’s 196-Foot Atlas V Rocket Launch On A Top Secret Space Force Mission
The top secret payload sat atop the Atlas V rocket, which measures 196 feet tall fully stacked. ULA noted the Atlas V rocket weighs 1.29 million pounds once fully fueled for liftoff, and that it left the launch pad on 2.7 million pounds of thrust. The successful launch marks a milestone 100th launch in service to US national security by ULA.
Let's relive liftoff of the United Launch Alliance #AtlasV rocket carrying #USSF51 for the @SpaceForceDOD on ULA's 100th national security mission! pic.twitter.com/WtUKE6j5W9
— ULA (@ulalaunch) July 30, 2024
The Atlas 551 is the highest performance configuration of the rocket family with a full complement of five solid rocket boosters, according to ULA. It first launched in 2006, and has launched the New Horizons spacecraft to Pluto, the Juno orbiter to Jupiter, along with multiple national security payloads. It has served the Air Force, Space Force, and National Reconnaissance Office for 17 years with a 100 percent launch success.
The ULA Atlas V launch can be watched via the X/Twitter link above, or via YouTube. As space continues to evolve into the new battlefield high ground, ULA remarked it is “unleashing the energy of American ingenuity by developing Vulcan to meet our nation’s need for expanding space missions.”
