The U.S. Air Force’s fifth Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite, designed for secure, jam-resistant communications, is set for launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket. These photos show the AEHF 5 satellite during encapsulation inside the Atlas 5’s payload shroud.
The AEHF 5 satellite, built by Lockheed Martin, will join four other satellites in the Air Force’s protecting communications network providing secure data, voice and video links to the military and government leaders.
The spacecraft weighs around 13,600 pounds (6,168 kilograms) fully fueled. The Atlas 5 rocket set to launch with the AEHF 5 satellite will fly in the “551” configuration — the most powerful Atlas 5 variant — with a 5.4 meter (17.7-foot) diameter payload fairing produced by Ruag Space and five solid rocket boosters from Aerojet Rocketdyne.
The AEHF 5 communications satellite was encapsulated inside the Atlas 5 rocket’s payload fairing in early June at the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Florida. Credit: Lockheed MartinThe AEHF 5 communications satellite was encapsulated inside the Atlas 5 rocket’s payload fairing in early June at the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Florida. Credit: Lockheed MartinThe AEHF 5 communications satellite was encapsulated inside the Atlas 5 rocket’s payload fairing in early June at the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Florida. Credit: Lockheed MartinThe AEHF 5 communications satellite was encapsulated inside the Atlas 5 rocket’s payload fairing in early June at the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Florida. Credit: Lockheed MartinThe AEHF 5 communications satellite was encapsulated inside the Atlas 5 rocket’s payload fairing in early June at the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Florida. Credit: Lockheed MartinThe AEHF 5 communications satellite was encapsulated inside the Atlas 5 rocket’s payload fairing in early June at the Astrotech payload processing facility in Titusville, Florida. Credit: Lockheed Martin
Another countdown for United Launch Alliance’s next Delta 4-Heavy rocket mission ended without a liftoff Wednesday after a computer sequencer detected a potential problem just before engine ignition.
SpaceX scrubbed a launch attempt early Wednesday at Cape Canaveral due to thick cloud cover, then delayed the liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket with an Airbus-built communications satellite for Arabsat until Friday night to wait for improved weather and to make room for the test-firing of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket at a neighboring launch pad.
For the second time in seven weeks, SpaceX, Telesat and SSL teamed up for a commercial satellite launch from Cape Canaveral early Monday, this time successfully deploying into orbit a high-power telecom payload developed in a joint venture with a Hong Kong-based company.
