Stats: Atlas 5 history and backlog

A payload critical to the nation was mounted atop its Atlas 5 rocket this morning in preparation for next week’s launch into orbit.

The United States Space Force 51 (USSF-51) mission was the 58th and final time an Atlas 5 rocket launches a national security payload. Liftoff happened at Tuesday, July 30, during a three-hour window that opens at 6:45 a.m. EDT (1045 UTC).

Completing an October to remember, the third Atlas 5 rocket launch in just 29 days thundered into space Saturday, this time to replace an aging satellite in the Global Positioning System.