Covering All Things Florida
A Vulcan booster’s engines are test fired in this undated photo. Photo: ULA
In a Tweet ( or should we say “X”) posted on Thursday, United Launch Alliance announced that they are targeting December 24th for the first launch of their new Vulcan booster. The announcement comes after months of delays due to technical issues. The Vulcan booster will replace ULA’s retiring Atlas V and Delta IV boosters.
A ULA Atlas V sends two test satellites to orbit for Amazon on Friday, October6. 2023. Photo by Mark Stone for FMN
In the quest to bridge the digital divide and provide new global internet connectivity to underserved communities, Amazon has embarked on an ambitious venture known as Project Kuiper. This groundbreaking initiative aims to revolutionize satellite internet connectivity through the deployment of a vast constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO).
Project Kuiper, spearheaded by Amazon, seeks to address the challenges of delivering broadband access to remote and underserved areas around the world. With the ultimate goal of providing fast, reliable, and affordable internet, Amazon plans to launch a total of 3,236 satellites into LEO. These satellites will form a constellation capable of delivering broadband connectivity to even the most remote corners of our planet.
BY: TJ WALLER
In a significant achievement for the United States Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the United Launch Alliance (ULA) has successfully launched the NROL-107/SILENTBARKER mission; marking ULA’s 98th launch for national security. This joint national security mission was carried out by an Atlas V 551 rocket, adding another feather to ULA’s cap of 157 launches with a 100 percent success rate. The not-so-silent Silent Barker lifted off at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Sunday, September 10, 2023 at 8:47 AM EDT, and drew an exceptionally large crowd of spectators, media and photographers all along the Space Coast!
By Mark Stone
United Launch Alliance, a private spaceflight contractor, successfully sent a classified government satellite into orbit on Thursday, June 22, 2023. The launch came one day after a delay due to a faulty piece of ground equipment. The mission to deploy the satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office finally lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) Launch Complex 37 at 5:18 AM EDT.
The mission, NROL-68, carries a crucial national security satellite that will provide vital information from space to America’s government officials, intelligence analysts, and military. The US government says the satellite will also be used to support worldwide humanitarian missions. Even though the exact type and capabilities of the satellite are unknown, some observers believe the launch configuration of the Delta IV rocket suggests an Orion class satellite. Orion spy satellites are the newest class of signal-gathering intelligence satellites and are among the largest in orbit. The main antenna of an Orion-class satellite spans the length of a football field.
