Quote from: sstli2 on 12/10/2025 12:16 amQuote from: DanClemmensen on 12/09/2025 11:39 pmQuote from: zubenelgenubi on 12/09/2025 11:20 pmRealistically, this is the last ULA launch of 2025?The shortest pad turnaround I found for SLC-41 since ULA acquired it in 2006 is 29 days, so yes.I had a tiny bit of hope that they would be able to pull off a dual stack and back-to-back launch with Vulcan this year, but that's out of the question now. Bruno has all but confirmed a NET January on KV-01. I'm still holding out hope for a Vulcan stack to commence this month, though. Maybe even two...In an earlier discussion, someone pointed out that they cannot begin the next stack until after the current one actually launches, because the VIF must remain available in case the current one needs to roll back. I have never been anywhere near that VIF, so I cannot confirm this, but it sounds reasonable. A parallel stacking process will need VIF-A to come on line.
Quote from: DanClemmensen on 12/09/2025 11:39 pmQuote from: zubenelgenubi on 12/09/2025 11:20 pmRealistically, this is the last ULA launch of 2025?The shortest pad turnaround I found for SLC-41 since ULA acquired it in 2006 is 29 days, so yes.I had a tiny bit of hope that they would be able to pull off a dual stack and back-to-back launch with Vulcan this year, but that's out of the question now. Bruno has all but confirmed a NET January on KV-01. I'm still holding out hope for a Vulcan stack to commence this month, though. Maybe even two...
Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 12/09/2025 11:20 pmRealistically, this is the last ULA launch of 2025?The shortest pad turnaround I found for SLC-41 since ULA acquired it in 2006 is 29 days, so yes.
Realistically, this is the last ULA launch of 2025?
Issue Date UTC: 12/09/2025 0012Start Date UTC: 12/15/2025 0948End Date UTC: 12/21/2025 0956B2767/25 NOTAMNQ) MMFR/QRDCA/IV/BO/W/000/999/A) MMFOB) 2512150948C) 2512210956D) 15 0948-1204, 16 0926-1142, 17 0905-1121, 18 0844-1100, 19 0822-1038, 20 0801-1017, 21 0740-0956E) DANGEROUS AREA FOR REENTRY OF ROCKET ULA KA-04 STAGE 2: LATERAL LIMIT AREA FORMED BY THE UNION OF THE FLW POINTS: 1006N12000W - 0856N11825W - 0645N12000W - 1006N12000W FIR OCEANICO MAZATLAN (MMFO)F) SFCG) UNL
The Launch Readiness Review is GO to continue preps for launch of Atlas V with our fourth Amazon Leo constellation mission. Liftoff is planned for Monday at 3:49 a.m. EST (0849 UTC) from Cape Canaveral. Early weather forecast is 65% favorable. Live updates and webcast: http://bit.ly/av_leo4
Launch Readiness Review completedThe Launch Readiness Review (LRR) is GO for Monday's predawn liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with another batch of production satellites for the Amazon Leo constellation.Liftoff is scheduled for 3:49 a.m. EST (0849 UTC) from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.The LRR, led by ULA Launch Director Don Malin, was completed this morning at the Advanced Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC).Leadership from ULA, Amazon and Space Force assessed the readiness of the rocket, payload and mission assets, discussed the status of pre-flight processing work, heard technical overviews of the countdown and flight, and previewed the weather forecast that projects 65 percent chance of meeting the launch rules.At the conclusion of the meeting, senior leaders were polled and gave a ready status for launch, then signed the Launch Readiness Certificate.The Atlas V rocket, designated AV-111, stands 205 feet (62.5 meters) tall and will launch the Leo 4 payload into near-circular low Earth orbit (LEO) of approximately 280 miles (450 km) and 51.9 degrees inclination. At liftoff, the rocket generates a combined thrust of 2.7 million pounds (12 megaNewtons) from its main engine and five solid rocket boosters. ULA will offer live reports from launch control in our automatically refreshing blog beginning Monday at 12:30 a.m. EST (0530 UTC). The launch webcast starts 20 minutes before liftoff.
ULA@ulalaunch·Attention rocket fans in the eastern U.S.! Here is your chance to see Atlas V streaking into orbit Monday morning carrying the next mission for the Amazon Leo broadband satellite constellation. This visibility map shows when and where your best chances are to see the rocket as it lifts off at 3:49 a.m. EST (0849 UTC) and heads northeasterly into space.ULA will offer live reports from launch control in our automatically refreshing blog beginning at 12:30 a.m. EST (0530 UTC). The launch webcast starts at L-20 minutes. http://bit.ly/av_leo4
Elisar Priel@ENNEPS·@ulalaunch is getting ready for the next launch of its Atlas V 551 rocket from SLC 41 at the CCSFS, as the rocket rolled out from the Vertical Integration Facility and towards the pad ahead of Sunday Night's Amazon Leo LA-4 mission.
ULA@ulalaunch·United Launch Alliance announces the arrival of our Atlas V rocket at its Cape Canaveral pad to launch Amazon Leo 4 on Monday at 3:49 a.m. EST (0849 UTC). This will be ULA's fourth of 46 missions dedicated to delivering @Amazonleo satellites into low Earth orbit for the broadband constellation to connect the world. http://bit.ly/av_leo4
Rollout is underway of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to send the next batch of Amazon Leo broadband satellites into space Monday. Liftoff of the Leo 4 mission is planned for 3:49 a.m. EST (0849 UTC).
The MLP has been lowered onto the launch pad piers, accomplishing the "harddown" milestone at 11:51 a.m. EST. Over the next few hours today, umbilical connections will be made with launch pad systems, the environmental control system feeding conditioned air to the rocket and payload will be switched to facility supplies to allow the portable trailers used during rollout to be unplugged and moved away. Later in the evening, the first stage will be loaded with its 25,000 gallons of storable RP-1 propellant, a highly refined kerosene fuel.The latest launch weather forecast, issued this morning by the 45h Weather Squadron at Cape Canaveral, now indicates only a 20 percent chance of meeting the launch weather criteria on Monday. Strong ground winds, gusting to 35 knots, are the primary concern.Weather for the backup launch opportunity on Tuesday is 95 percent favorable with the winds diminishing significantly.Our live countdown updates will begin on this page at 12:30 a.m. EST (0530 UTC).
Happy Saturday. Looking forward to going to space shortly. LWO is forecasting some high winds in the window. So, everybody think calm thoughts.
https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1999872352642064585QuoteRollout is underway of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to send the next batch of Amazon Leo broadband satellites into space Monday. Liftoff of the Leo 4 mission is planned for 3:49 a.m. EST (0849 UTC). Quote from: Live UpdatesThe MLP has been lowered onto the launch pad piers, accomplishing the "harddown" milestone at 11:51 a.m. EST. Over the next few hours today, umbilical connections will be made with launch pad systems, the environmental control system feeding conditioned air to the rocket and payload will be switched to facility supplies to allow the portable trailers used during rollout to be unplugged and moved away. Later in the evening, the first stage will be loaded with its 25,000 gallons of storable RP-1 propellant, a highly refined kerosene fuel.The latest launch weather forecast, issued this morning by the 45h Weather Squadron at Cape Canaveral, now indicates only a 20 percent chance of meeting the launch weather criteria on Monday. Strong ground winds, gusting to 35 knots, are the primary concern.Weather for the backup launch opportunity on Tuesday is 95 percent favorable with the winds diminishing significantly.Our live countdown updates will begin on this page at 12:30 a.m. EST (0530 UTC).
PLANNED LAUNCH/REENTRY:SPACEX STARLINK 15-12, VANDENBERG SFB, CAPRIMARY: 12/14/25 0520Z-1002ZBACKUP: 12/16/25 0452Z-0934ZSPACEX STARLINK 6-82, CAPE CANAVERAL SFS, FLPRIMARY: 12/15/25 0243Z-0726ZBACKUP: 12/16/25 0217Z-0700ZULA KA-04, CAPE CANAVERAL SFS, FLPRIMARY: 12/15/25 0835Z-1204ZBACKUP: 12/16/25 0813Z-1142ZSPACEX STARLINK 6-99, KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLPRIMARY: 12/15/25 1311Z-1754ZBACKUP: 12/16/25 1245Z-1728Z
Quote from: StraumliBlight on 12/13/2025 07:41 pmQuoteRollout is underway of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to send the next batch of Amazon Leo broadband satellites into space Monday. Liftoff of the Leo 4 mission is planned for 3:49 a.m. EST (0849 UTC). Quote from: Live UpdatesThe MLP has been lowered onto the launch pad piers, accomplishing the "harddown" milestone at 11:51 a.m. EST. Over the next few hours today, umbilical connections will be made with launch pad systems, the environmental control system feeding conditioned air to the rocket and payload will be switched to facility supplies to allow the portable trailers used during rollout to be unplugged and moved away. Later in the evening, the first stage will be loaded with its 25,000 gallons of storable RP-1 propellant, a highly refined kerosene fuel.The latest launch weather forecast, issued this morning by the 45h Weather Squadron at Cape Canaveral, now indicates only a 20 percent chance of meeting the launch weather criteria on Monday. Strong ground winds, gusting to 35 knots, are the primary concern.Weather for the backup launch opportunity on Tuesday is 95 percent favorable with the winds diminishing significantly.Our live countdown updates will begin on this page at 12:30 a.m. EST (0530 UTC).Weather forecast details:
QuoteRollout is underway of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to send the next batch of Amazon Leo broadband satellites into space Monday. Liftoff of the Leo 4 mission is planned for 3:49 a.m. EST (0849 UTC). Quote from: Live UpdatesThe MLP has been lowered onto the launch pad piers, accomplishing the "harddown" milestone at 11:51 a.m. EST. Over the next few hours today, umbilical connections will be made with launch pad systems, the environmental control system feeding conditioned air to the rocket and payload will be switched to facility supplies to allow the portable trailers used during rollout to be unplugged and moved away. Later in the evening, the first stage will be loaded with its 25,000 gallons of storable RP-1 propellant, a highly refined kerosene fuel.The latest launch weather forecast, issued this morning by the 45h Weather Squadron at Cape Canaveral, now indicates only a 20 percent chance of meeting the launch weather criteria on Monday. Strong ground winds, gusting to 35 knots, are the primary concern.Weather for the backup launch opportunity on Tuesday is 95 percent favorable with the winds diminishing significantly.Our live countdown updates will begin on this page at 12:30 a.m. EST (0530 UTC).
The launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V carrying the @AmazonLeo 4 mission is now planned for Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 3:28 a.m. EST at the opening of a 29-minute window. Teams are actively monitoring the weather and the forecasted winds during our original launch window present only a five percent chance of acceptability. The forecast for Dec. 16 provides a 95 percent chance of acceptable weather for launch.
The U.S. Space Force weather squadron at Cape Canaveral predicts a 95 percent chance of acceptable weather for the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launch of the Amazon Leo mission on Tuesday at 3:28 a.m. EST (0828 UTC).
ULA@ulalaunch·Both launch weather and space weather are GO for the overnight Atlas V rocket launch at 3:28 a.m. EST (0828 UTC), according to the day's first weather briefing by Space Force launch weather officer from the Space Launch Delta 45 weather squadron at Cape Canaveral.
Dec 15 22:35We are entering the final five hours in our countdown to launch. All continues to progress well.A pre-launch test of the rocket's guidance system is now in progress. Also underway are checks of the GPS Metric Tracking system used to follow the rocket as it flies downrange and a test of the S-band telemetry relay system.
Dec 15 23:00All systems remain "go" here at the Advanced Spaceflight Operations Center and at the launch pad as we count down to tonight's Atlas V launch at 3:28 a.m. EST (0828 UTC). The weather is favorable and we are working no issues.At Space Launch Complex-41, the Atlas V rocket has undergone its flight control steering check of the engine nozzle gimbaling, and the flame bucket cover has been retracted and stowed for launch.
Welcome to the Atlas V countdown!From the Advanced Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, this is Atlas Launch Control at T-minus 2 hours and holding with 28 minutes remaining in this planned half-hour built-in hold prior to fueling.We are on schedule to launch an Atlas V 551 rocket carrying the Amazon Leo Atlas 4 (LA-4) broadband satellite mission to low Earth orbit today. Liftoff is targeted for 3:28 a.m. EST (0828 UTC) at the opening of a 29-minute launch window that extends to 3:57 a.m. EST (0857 UTC). The rocket, designated AV-111, will complete a single burn of the Centaur upper stage to reach an approximate 280-mile-high (450 km) orbit inclined 51.9 degrees. The Amazon Leo satellites are mounted atop the Atlas V attached to a special dispensing tower and will release at predetermined intervals, representing the most separation events performed in a single Atlas launch.This will be the 106th Atlas V rocket launch, continuing its eclectic mix of payloads and missions over a storied program life lasting more than 23 years. The launch pad crew recently completed its hands-on work to ready Space Launch Complex-41 for today's mission and Launch Conductor Scott Barney gave the instruction for personnel to depart the site in advance of fueling operations.Final preps are underway to begin cryogenic propellant loading operations for the Atlas-Centaur launch vehicle. The two stages will be filled with 66,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen once the countdown resumes. The ground transfer systems are configured for tanking operations and the environmental control system has completed its changeover from conditioned air to gaseous nitrogen flow to the Atlas V and the payload fairing in preparation for fueling and launch.We are not tracking any technical issues in the countdown and activities are progressing on the scheduled timeline. At T-minus 2 hours and holding, this is Atlas Launch Control.
