Launch News ULA's Atlas V 551 with MUOS-2, July 19th, 2013.

[Kyle]

Launch of the U.S. Navy's Mobile User Objective System (MUOS), designated MUOS-2 is scheduled for 0848L on July 19th, 2013.

Launch date: July 19th, 2013.

Launch window: 0848L - 0932L

Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida.

Payload: MUOS-2

L-4 Update Memo - ULA MEDIA UPDATE: ULA Atlas V MUOS-2 Launch Set for July 19, 8:48 a.m. EDT

Good evening,

Everything is progressing for the U.S. Navy’s Mobile User Objective System- 2 (MUOS-2) launch. The mission is set to liftoff on a ULA Atlas V on Friday, July 19 from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The 44-minute launch window opens at 8:48 a.m. EDT. Today’s L-4 forecast shows a 40 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for launch.

Weather Forecast

Overall probability of violating weather constraints:
60%; Primary concern(s): Cumulus Clouds, Anvil Clouds

Overall probability of violating weather constraints for 24 hour delay:
30%; Primary concern(s): Cumulus Clouds

On a personal note, I'll be at Cape Canaveral from Thursday to Sunday, so I'll be in attendance for this launch. Looking forward to give you guys some pictures!

 

[ky]

Awesome man, get us some great pics of the Atlas!

 

[Kyle]

I plan to! The last Atlas V launch I've been to was the Curiosity launch in November 2011, looking forward to the even more powerful 551 launch!

Rollout underway!

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Thank goodness! My laptop had a BSOD (for the first time in months :compbash just before the launch, and thanks to the weather I can still watch the liftoff!

New launch time 13:00 UTC.

 

[Kyle]

It launched! I had an incredible view on the river, saw it lift off from the pad. The way it went into the clouds right after launch, emerged from the clouds, only to go right back into the clouds remind me a lot of the view I got from STS-135 (only this was straight east). More pictures to come soon, here's one I got from the iPhone right after SRB sep.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Currently the Centaur and the satellite is coasting towards GEO altitude with a third burn coming up at 15:48 UTC.

 

[boogabooga]

Darn it, I missed the webcast.

Everyone always focuses on the shiny, loud 2 minutes, and those videos are what are on Youtube.

IMHO, the truly educational parts are the "boring" parts listening to the launch team do its job before launch (especially if they have to "work issues", and the 20-45 minutes in when the Centaur maneuvers for the transfer orbit,when you can see the techniques in STK.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

 

[malisle]

one more pic from a different perspective:

 

[boogabooga]

Notice how vertical the profile is even several thousand feet up.

 

[N_Molson]

That pic is fantastic.

Notice how vertical the profile is even several thousand feet up.

Hard to guess, if the rocket is heading at us or away from us.

 

[Kyle]

Some more I took with a better camera.