[ad_1]
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — United Launch Alliance is getting ready to launch 30 Amazon Leo internet satellites early Tuesday morning.
What You Need To Know
- The Atlas V 551 rocket’s first-stage booster does not land on a droneship or landing zone, like SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket
Formerly known as Kuiper satellites, Amazon made the name change last month. In fact, this will be the first launch under the new name for the satellites.
ULA’s Atlas V 551 rocket will leave Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, stated the Colorado-based company.
The very short launch window will open at 3:28 a.m. ET and close at 3:57 a.m. ET.
The LA-04 mission was originally set to launch on Monday morning, but it was pushed back due to poor weather conditions.
At the moment, the 45th Weather Squadron is giving a 95% chance of good liftoff weather for the Tuesday morning mission, with the only concern 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 better known SpaceX rocket — the Falcon 9 — does. Instead, it will separate and fall into the Atlantic Ocean, where it will get picked up.
About the mission
The Atlas V rocket sent up 27 of Amazon’s Leo satellites.
Like the SpaceX-company Starlink and its satellites that orbit Earth, the Leo satellites will have their own low-Earth orbital satellite network.
The Leo satellites will provide internet service to customers around the world.
Before this launch, there were 153 Kuiper satellites in orbit, with Amazon planning more than 3,200, once all is said and done.
Watch the launch here
Source link