ViaSat-3 F2 (ViaSat-3 EMEA)

The mission

The ViaSat-3 is a series of three Ka-band satellites is expected to provide vastly superior capabilities in terms of service speed and flexibility for a satellite platform. Each ViaSat-3 class satellite is expected to deliver more than 1-Terabit per second of network capacity, and to leverage high levels of flexibility to dynamically direct capacity to where customers are located.

Type

Communications

Destination

Geostationary transfer orbit

The rocket

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.

Height

59.7 m

Built by

United Launch Alliance

First flew

January 19, 2006

Lifts to low Earth orbit

18,850 kg

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Lifts to geostationary transfer

8,890 kg

Diameter

3.8 m

Mass at liftoff

573 t

Thrust at liftoff

12,269 kN

Stages

1 to 2

23 flights, 23 of them successful.

Wikipedia →

The operator

United Launch Alliance

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.

Sector

Commercial

Based in

USA

Founded

2006

Run by

John Elbon, Interim CEO

175 launches so far, 175 of them successful. The last 175 in a row went to plan.

ulalaunch.com → Wikipedia →

The launch site

It went up from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

See the pad on a map →