The United Launch Alliance rocket is on top of the Space Launch Copmlex 41 of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for a December 5, 2021, launch. The image is from the United Launch Alliance.
You can watch the Atlas V rocket launch live online.
The rocket is scheduled to blast off at 4:04 a.m. from Space Launch Complex 41. A mix of payloads for the U.S. Space Force is being carried on a mission.
You can watch the rocket launch on Sunday at Space.com, courtesy of ULA.
The history of rockets.
The rocket is set to launch in a configuration that is the largest in its class. This means that the rocket is powered by five strap-on solid rocket motors, a single-engine Centaur upper stage, and its payload is tucked inside a 16.4-foot-wide (5 m) fairing.
NASA's Perseverance Mars rovers were launched by the Atlas V version.
The rocket made its way from ULA's vertical integration facility to the launch pad.
There are two satellites tucked inside of the fairing, each containing a host of technological prototypes and experiments that will be tested in space.
Most of the payloads are sponsored by the U.S. military's Space Test Program. The larger of the two satellites, known as STPSat6, is carrying a novel laser communication payload for NASA.
The National Nuclear Security Administration has a piece of equipment on board that is designed to detect nuclear detonations from space.
The LDPE-1 satellite will test a propulsion system in space and other technologies.
ULA representatives said that Sunday's launch will be the 190th overall flight and the longest mission to date.
The Atlas V will deliver the mission directly into theGEO. The Atlas V has a unique ability to navigate through a highly complex orbital insertion that requires three Centaur burns. This is the longest mission to date, lasting seven hours and 10 minutes.
The launch comes on the heels of the 27th rocket launch of the year by the company.
The 45th Space Delta has said that there is a good chance of a liftoff on Sunday. If the weather gets worse on Monday, there will be a backup attempt.
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