{"id":9707,"date":"2025-11-05T23:56:45","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T15:56:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/atlas-booster-valve-issue-scrubs-launch-of-viasat-3-f2-satellite\/"},"modified":"2025-11-05T23:56:45","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T15:56:45","slug":"atlas-booster-valve-issue-scrubs-launch-of-viasat-3-f2-satellite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/atlas-booster-valve-issue-scrubs-launch-of-viasat-3-f2-satellite\/","title":{"rendered":"Atlas booster valve issue scrubs launch of ViaSat-3 F2 satellite"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_71362\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71362\" style=\"width: 876px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-71362\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251105_ViaSat-3_F2_pad.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"876\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251105_ViaSat-3_F2_pad.jpeg 876w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251105_ViaSat-3_F2_pad-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251105_ViaSat-3_F2_pad-768x512.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 876px) 100vw, 876px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-71362\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas 5 rocket sits on Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral at sunset. The Atlas V will launch the ViaSat-3 F2 ultra-high-capacity broadband satellite. Image: United Launch Alliance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em><strong>Update Nov. 5, 11:30 p.m. EST (0430 UTC): ULA scrubbed the mission due to a valve issue.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>United Launch Alliance scrubbed the planned launch an Atlas 5 rocket Wednesday night due to the valve issue that was unable to be resolved in the launch window. The rocket is carrying a communications satellite for California-based communications company, Viasat.<\/p>\n<p>Following the scrub, the company said that \u201can issue encountered while cycling the booster liquid oxygen tank valve during final checkouts\u201d forced them to stand down from a launch attempt and target a day later.<\/p>\n<p>Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 41 is scheduled for 10:16 p.m. EST (0316 UTC), the opening of a 44-minute-long window. The rocket will head due east upon leaving Florida\u2019s Space Coast.<\/p>\n<p>The 6-metric-ton satellite will be launched to a geosynchronous transfer orbit, deploying nearly 3.5 hours after the rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.<\/p>\n<p>Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning about an hour prior to liftoff.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IdsUu86_gdc\" width=\"678\" height=\"381\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, the 45th Weather Squadron forecast a 95 percent chance for favorable weather during the window. Meteorologist cited a small chance for interference from cumulus clouds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHigh pressure will bring fair weather to the Space Coast on both the primary and backup days,\u201d launch weather officers wrote. \u201cFor the primary window, a ridge axis over Central Florida will develop light, onshore winds and partly cloudy skies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>ULA is launching this mission using an Atlas 5 rocket in its 551 configuration. The 196-foot-tall (59.7 meters) rocket is supported by five solid rocket boosters, which combine with the RD-180 main engine to produce about 2.7 million pounds (12 megaNewtons) of thrust at liftoff.<\/p>\n<p>The SRBs will be jettisoned less than two minutes into the flight, followed by the payload fairings about a minute and a half later. It will take three separate firings of the RL10C-1-1 engine on the Centaur 3 upper stage to reach the correct orbit to release the ViaSat-3 F2 satellite.<\/p>\n<p>Following release, the upper stage will be placed in a so-called graveyard orbit nearly an hour later.<\/p>\n<p>This rocket has the designation of AV-100 and will be the 105th Atlas V rocket launched to date. After this mission, ULA will have 11 of these rockets remaining before it is officially retired:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>6 \u2013 Boeing\u2019s CST-100 Starliner<\/li>\n<li>5 \u2013 Amazon\u2019s Project Kuiper<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>What\u2019s onboard?<\/h4>\n<p>This is the second satellite in the ViaSat-3 series and will operate in geostationary Earth orbit. It follows the launch of the first spacecraft by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in 2023. That satellite, ViaSat-3 F1, suffered an issue with its antenna, which both delayed the start of service and resulted in a reduced capacity.<\/p>\n<p>Viasat officials said this new satellite will provide Ka-band network capabilities, adding more than 1 terabits per second (Tbps) of capacity to the company\u2019s network over the Americas.<\/p>\n<p>Following months of on-orbit testing at its operating location of 79 degrees West longitude, the ViaSat-3 F2 spacecraft is expected to enter service in early 2026.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_71363\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71363\" style=\"width: 876px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-71363\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251105_ViaSat-3_F2_encapsulation.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"876\" height=\"657\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251105_ViaSat-3_F2_encapsulation.jpeg 876w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251105_ViaSat-3_F2_encapsulation-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251105_ViaSat-3_F2_encapsulation-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251105_ViaSat-3_F2_encapsulation-678x509.jpeg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251105_ViaSat-3_F2_encapsulation-326x245.jpeg 326w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251105_ViaSat-3_F2_encapsulation-80x60.jpeg 80w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 876px) 100vw, 876px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-71363\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The ViaSat-3 F2 satellite is moved within the Astrotech Space Operations facility in Titusville, Florida, where it was encapsulated in payload fairings for United Launch Alliance\u2019s Atlas 5 rocket. Image: Viasat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cBeyond an incredible capacity increase, ViaSat-3 F2\u2019s dynamic beam forming capabilities will greatly benefit our customers by efficiently deploying bandwidth to the highest demand places, allowing us to scale performance and the number and density of users,\u201d said Mark Dankberg, Chairman and CEO of Viasat, in a statement. \u201cThese capabilities will continue to fuel our successful, multi-orbit service offerings, including service platforms such as Viasat Amara, NexusWave, and a resilient, hybrid SATCOM architecture for government.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The satellite is built on Boeing\u2019s 702MP+ platform, which uses electric propulsion and solar arrays, the latter of which is from Boeing subsidiary, Spectrolab. Boeing is supporting Viasat in both launch operations and post-deployment checkouts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur goal is to enable missions with reliability and timely delivery,\u201d said Michelle Parker, Vice President of Boeing Space Mission Systems. \u201cWith ViaSat\u20113 F2, we leveraged proven 702 heritage, advanced power systems and all\u2011electric propulsion to enable high-speed connectivity for users who rely on it.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_71047\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71047\" style=\"width: 876px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-71047\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20251001_ViaSat-3_F2_rendering.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"876\" height=\"493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20251001_ViaSat-3_F2_rendering.jpg 876w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20251001_ViaSat-3_F2_rendering-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20251001_ViaSat-3_F2_rendering-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20251001_ViaSat-3_F2_rendering-678x381.jpg 678w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 876px) 100vw, 876px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-71047\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An on-orbit rendering of the ViaSat-3 satellite. Graphic: Viasat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas 5 rocket sits on Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral at sunset. The Atlas V will launch the ViaSat-3 F2 ultra-high-capacity broadband satellite. Image: United Launch Alliance Update Nov. 5, 11:30 p.m. EST (0430 UTC): ULA scrubbed the mission due to a valve issue. United Launch Alliance [&hellip;]<\/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":[725,930,363,767,926],"class_list":["post-9707","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-atlas-5-551","tag-av-100","tag-ula","tag-viasat","tag-viasat-3-f2"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9707"}],"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=9707"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9707\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}