A rare sight is coming to the Space Coast Tuesday morning. A 196-foot-tall Atlas V rocket will lift off from the launch pad in Secret Space Force Mission.
There has only been one other Atlas V launch this year, and that was for a crewed flight test of Boeing’s Starliner.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled to lift off at 6:45 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 30, carrying the U.S. Space Force’s USSF-51 mission from Launch Complex 41, which is located south of Kennedy Space Center.
As of Friday morning, weather conditions were expected to be favorable for Tuesday’s launch with only a 20% chance that conditions would prevent the launch.
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When launched, the five solid rocket motors—which are mounted around the core of the rocket—will initially help propel it away from the launch pad and onto its way. That extra power makes for a brilliant display.
On its final flights before retirement, this powerful rocket is making its last mission to carry a national security payload. Marking the 58th launch of an Atlas V rocket for national security purposes, USSF-51 will carry a top-secret payload for the U.S. Space Forces Systems Command. Because the mission is for national security, no details about the payload or destination are available.
However, USSF-51 marks the 100th mission that United Launch Alliance has provided launch services for via its fleet of rockets — a number that is set to grow once the company begins flying its Vulcan rocket. The Vulcan will replace both the now-retired Atlas V and Delta IV.
Atlas V gets a mission-appropriate patch for an important mission.
In keeping with the tradition of using animals as mascots for these top-secret missions, this mission patch features a blue outline of a horse behind an Atlas V rocket. The design is set against a starry background.
The design appears on the payload covers—which protect and cover the payload atop the rocket—and on the mission patch.
Be sure to follow the FLORIDA TODAY Space Team for the latest news from Cape Canaveral.
Brooke Edwards is a space reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bed@floridatoday.com Or on X: @Brook of stars.
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