\n
![\"01\"](\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/01-1024x683.jpg\")
\nThe United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 vehicle, designated AV-057, will lift off and begin a vertical rise away from Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.<\/p>\n
T+0:01:18.5: Mach 1 and Max Q<\/strong> T+0:04:04: Main Engine Cutoff<\/strong> T+0:04:10: Stage Separation<\/strong> T+0:04:20: Centaur Ignition No. 1<\/strong> T+0:04:28: Nose Cone Jettison<\/strong> T+0:17:04: Centaur Engine Cutoff No. 1<\/strong> T+3:17:03: Centaur Ignition No. 2<\/strong> T+3:18:30: Centaur Engine Cutoff No. 2<\/strong> T+3:23:16: Spacecraft Separation<\/strong> See earlier GPS 2F-12 coverage.<\/p>\n Our Atlas archive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Follow the Atlas 5 rocket\u2019s ascent into orbit from Cape Canaveral\u2019s Complex 41 launch pad with the U.S. Air Force\u2019s GPS 2F-12 navigation satellite. Launch is scheduled for Friday at 8:38 a.m. EST (1338 GMT). T+0:00:01.1: Liftoff The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 vehicle, designated AV-057, will lift off and begin a vertical rise away […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[437,3222,724,3784,670,1808,3785,395],"class_list":["post-15749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-air-force","tag-ascent","tag-atlas-5","tag-av-057","tag-boeing","tag-global-positioning-system","tag-gps-2f-12","tag-navigation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15749"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15749"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15749\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n![\"EyeTVSnapshot1212\"](\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/EyeTVSnapshot1212-1024x576.jpg\")
\nThe Atlas rocket achieves Mach 1 some 78 seconds into the flight, then passes through the region of maximum dynamic pressure at 90 seconds.<\/p>\n
\n![\"EyeTVSnapshot1214\"](\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/EyeTVSnapshot1214-1024x576.jpg\")
\nThe RD-180 main engine completes its firing after consuming the load of RP-1 kerosene fuel and liquid oxygen supply in the Atlas first stage.<\/p>\n
\n![\"EyeTVSnapshot1215\"](\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/EyeTVSnapshot1215-1024x576.jpg\")
\nThe Common Core Booster first stage of the Atlas 5 rocket separates from the Centaur upper stage. Over the next few seconds, the Centaur engine liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen systems are readied for ignition.<\/p>\n
\n![\"EyeTVSnapshot1216\"](\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/EyeTVSnapshot1216-1024x576.jpg\")
\nThe Centaur RL10 engine ignites for the longer of the two upper stage firings. This burn will inject the Centaur stage and GPS 2F-12 spacecraft into a transfer orbit.<\/p>\n
\n![\"EyeTVSnapshot1217\"](\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/EyeTVSnapshot1217-1024x576.jpg\")
\nThe two-piece, 14-foot-diameter payload fairing that protected the GPS 2F-12 craft during the atmospheric ascent is separated to reveal the satellite to space.<\/p>\n
\n![\"EyeTVSnapshot1218\"](\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/EyeTVSnapshot1218-1024x576.jpg\")
\nThe Centaur engine shuts down after arriving in a planned elliptical transfer orbit of 11,000 by 90 nautical miles. The vehicle enters a three-hour coast period before arriving at the required location in space for the second burn.<\/p>\n
\n![\"EyeTVSnapshot1219\"](\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/EyeTVSnapshot1219-1024x576.jpg\")
\nThe Centaur re-ignites to circularize the orbit and enter the Global Positioning System satellite constellation in delivery of GPS 2F-12.<\/p>\n
\n![\"EyeTVSnapshot1220\"](\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/EyeTVSnapshot1220-1024x576.jpg\")
\nAt the conclusion of its second firing, the Centaur will have delivered the GPS spacecraft into the targeted circular orbit of 11,047 nautical miles, inclined 55 degrees to the equator.<\/p>\n
\n![\"EyeTVSnapshot1221\"](\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/EyeTVSnapshot1221-1024x576.jpg\")
\nThe Global Positioning System 2F-12 navigation satellite is released into orbit from the Centaur upper stage to complete the AV-057 launch.<\/p>\n