United Launch Alliance Successfully Deploys ViaSat-3 Satellite with a Flair for Overcoming Setbacks

United Launch Alliance (ULA) launched the Atlas V rocket carrying the telecommunications satellite ViaSat-3 F2 for California-based Viasat. The launch occurred at 10:04 PM Eastern Time (03:04 UTC) from Launch Complex SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This successful launch comes a week after a postponed attempt due to a detected fault in the liquid oxygen tank’s vent valve. The rocket was rolled back to the Vertical Integration Facility, where the valve was replaced before it returned to the launch site on November 12.

Source: The Atlas V flew in the 551 configuration, equipped with five solid rocket boosters. Standing at 60 meters tall, the rocket’s RD-180 main engine and boosters produced nearly 2.7 million pounds (12 MN) of thrust at liftoff. The boosters jettisoned two minutes post-launch, while the payload fairing was shed approximately 1.5 minutes later. To place the satellite into its intended orbit, the Centaur upper stage with its RL10C-1-1 engine is scheduled to execute three burns. The 6-ton satellite is expected to separate nearly 3.5 hours after launch, transitioning to a geostationary transfer orbit. Subsequently, the upper stage will move to a disposal orbit.

This mission, designated as AV-100, marks the 105th flight of the Atlas V. ULA has 11 missions remaining, with five reserved for CST-100 Starliner crew flights and another five aligned with Amazon’s Project Kuiper.

The ViaSat-3 F2 is the second satellite in the ViaSat-3 series, designed for geostationary orbit operation. The first satellite, ViaSat-3 F1, launched in 2023 aboard a Falcon Heavy, faced an antenna issue that delayed operations and reduced bandwidth availability. Viasat emphasized that the new satellite would significantly enhance the Ka-band capacity, increasing the network’s throughput by over 1 Tbps. After several months of on-orbit testing at its target location of 79° West longitude, the satellite is anticipated to commence service in early 2026. This satellite was built on the Boeing 702MP+ platform and is equipped with an electric propulsion system and Spectrolab solar panels, a Boeing subsidiary.