ULA sends second rocket of April to orbit with satellites for Amazon
United Launch Alliance launched its second Atlas 5 rocket of the month Monday night, its fastest turnaround to date, beating its previous record by three days.
ULA launched 29 Amazon Leo satellites, the sixth such flight carrying the broadband internet satellites to orbit.
The mission, labeled Amazon Leo 6 by ULA, saw liftoff at 8:53 p.m. EDT. The rocket flew on a northeasterly trajectory after leaving Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Spaceflight Now reported.
Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, is a low Earth orbit satellite network designed to provide reliable Internet access to customers and communities beyond the reach of existing networks. The satellites will be linked to a global network of antennas, fiber and internet connection points on the ground.
It was the 108th launch of an Atlas 5 and the 100th under ULA.
ULA achieved the faster turnaround by changing its prelaunch procedures, Spaceflight Now reported.
In the past, the company would send the rockets to the pad at least a day ahead of a launch attempt then load fuel onto the Atlas booster. With today’s mission, ULA sent the rocket to the pad Monday morning, lowering the Mobile Launch Platform onto the piers at the pad at 7:19 a.m. EDT. It then launched Monday evening.
“The ULA team will be divided into two shifts -- the Roll and Preps Crew and the Tanking and Launch Crew -- to perform all the tasks that normally are spread across two days,” ULA wrote in its launch blog. “Not all future launches will use this compressed timeline. Operational considerations and other factors will determine which missions can employ the strategy.”
ULA’s previous Atlas 5 launch turnaround record was 26 days, 5 hours, 19 minutes, which was three days longer than this one, at 23 days and 19 hours.
After this mission, the Amazon Leo constellation will have 270 satellites in orbit.
It’s the 10th launch overall for the constellation, including three on SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets and one on an Arianespace Ariane 64 rocket.
There will be more than 3,200 satellites in the starting Leo constellation.
On Monday morning, SpaceX scrubbed the launch of a Falcon Heavy rocket due to weather.
“Standing down from today’s Falcon Heavy launch of the @viasat-3 F3 mission due to unfavorable weather,” the company said on X. “Vehicle and payload remain healthy. A new target date will be shared once confirmed.”
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