Photos: Gantry rolled back to reveal Atlas 5 rocket for launch

NASA’s Perseverance rover, set for liftoff Thursday on a journey to Mars, posed some unusual challenges for launch crews working with the robot’s plutonium-fueled power generator, but United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 rocket is uniquely suited for the job, the company’s CEO says.

A state-of-the-art satellite to provide high-speed Internet connectivity across North America, specializing in areas where terrestrial networks are not available, will be mounted atop its booster rocket Saturday in preparation for launch next weekend.

Narrated animation explains the United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket ascending to space with the NROL-37 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office through T+plus 6 minutes, 30 seconds before going into a news blackout.