Photos: 200th Atlas-Centaur launches MUOS 3

This photo gallery shows the U.S. Navy’s third Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite being encapsulated in the rocket’s nose cone and being lifted atop the Atlas-Centaur vehicle. Liftoff is planned for Jan. 20.

The payload will be mounted aboard the 200th Atlas-Centaur rocket Thursday, completing assembly of the most-powerful version of the vehicle available in the modern era.

A final batch of launch photos from the successful AV-052 mission of the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket carrying the U.S. Navy’s MUOS 3 communications satellite.