AV-063 – Spaceflight Now

Navy satellite claws its way to usable orbit after main engine failure

November 3, 2016 Justin Ray

After four months of drama in space caused by a crippling failure of its main engine, a U.S. Navy’s mobile communications satellite has successfully rescued itself and achieved a usable orbit.

Missile warning satellite launch slips into 2017 due to thruster concerns

September 26, 2016 Justin Ray

An Air Force missile detection spacecraft will, effectively, lose its position in the Atlas 5 rocket’s cramped manifest over the next few months after the flight-worthiness of a thruster on the satellite was called into question and delayed its Oct. 3 liftoff date.

Navy looks for Plan B to salvage its newest communications satellite

August 2, 2016 Justin Ray

The U.S. Navy has declared the primary orbit-raising system aboard its new MUOS No. 5 communications satellite failed, leaving controllers scrambling to design a rescue plan.

Navy’s new MUOS 5 communications satellite experiences snag in space

July 8, 2016 Justin Ray

Trouble has befallen the U.S. Navy’s new communications satellite that was launched from Cape Canaveral two weeks ago, suspending orbit raising maneuvers and leaving the craft half-way between its rocket deployment orbit and a circular geosynchronous orbit.

Friday’s Atlas 5 launch as seen from the air, land and rocket

June 27, 2016 Justin Ray

Perspectives of Friday’s United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket flight were snapped from a commercial airliner, a satellite observer in Australia and the booster itself.

Photos: Atlas 5 launches MUOS 5

June 25, 2016 Justin Ray

The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket successfully flies to orbit Friday to deliver the U.S. Navy’s fifth Mobile User Objective System communications satellite.

Photos: Atlas 5 fulfills MUOS launch series with fifth successful launch

June 24, 2016 Justin Ray

Launching the U.S. Navy’s fifth MUOS mobile communications satellite, a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket thundered away from Cape Canaveral today.

Photos: Most powerful Atlas 5 puts 15,000-pound satellite in orbit

June 24, 2016 Justin Ray

With five side-mounted solid rocket boosters for added power, a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket successfully deployed the U.S. Navy’s fifth MUOS mobile communications satellite.

Navy satellite sails to orbit atop Atlas 5 rocket for communications grid

June 24, 2016 Justin Ray

The constellation-building Atlas 5 rocket from United Launch Alliance successfully deployed the fifth communications spacecraft for the Navy’s Mobile User Objective System today to form a new rugged smartphone network for the U.S. military.

Video: Liftoff of Atlas 5 and MUOS 5 for the Navy and rest of U.S. military

June 24, 2016 Justin Ray

The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, standing 206 feet tall and and weighing 1.3 million pounds, unleashes two-and-a-half million pounds of thrust from its main engine and five solid-fuel boosters to launch the Navy’s MUOS 5 satellite from Cape Canaveral.