DOUBLE LAUNCH: ULA gets ready to launch global communications satellite

CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — In a rare double launch night, United Launch Alliance is going to send up its Atlas V rocket that will carry a ViaSat communications satellite on Wednesday.

The ViaSat-3 Flight 2 mission will take off on the Atlas V 551 rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, stated ULA.

The launch window opens at 10:24 p.m. ET and closes at 11:08 p.m. ET, which means the 205-foot-tall (62.5-meter) rocket needs to take off during that time frame.

The 45th Weather Squadron is giving a good launch forecast at 95%, with the only concerns being the cumulus cloud rule.

The Atlas V 551 rocket’s first-stage booster does not land on a droneship or landing zone, which is what the more familiar SpaceX rocket, the Falcon 9, does. Instead, it will separate and fall into the Atlantic Ocean, where it will be picked up.

About the mission

Global communications company ViaSat’s broadband communications ViaSat-3 Flight 2 satellite will be sent to a geostationary orbit.

In fact, the California-based company stated that it will take a couple of months for it to travel to its destinated orbit. But once there at an orbital slot located at 79 degrees west longitude, the satellite will run a series of in-orbit testing before going into service.

“The ViaSat-3 satellites are each designed to provide coverage over nearly one-third of the Earth and ViaSat-3 F2 is expected to provide services over the Americas to address increasing customer demand. Launched in 2023, the ViaSat-3 F1 satellite will also continue to provide coverage over North America to meet user demand,” ViaSat stated.

The satellite will provide communications services like free Wi-Fi for commercial aircraft, home internet, and connectivity for government and defense mission operations.

Watch the launch here