LIVE! Amazon Project Kuiper 1 Launch

The Launch Pad ^ | October 6, 2023 | The Launch Pad

[Morgana]

Pad : SLC-41

Location : Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, USA

Rocket : ULA

Who is ULA?

United Launch Alliance (ULA) is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. ULA was formed in December 2006 by combining the teams at these companies which provide spacecraft launch services to the government of the United States. ULA launches from both coasts of the US. They launch their Atlas V vehicle from LC-41 in Cape Canaveral and LC-3E at Vandeberg. Their Delta IV launches from LC-37 at Cape Canaveral and LC-6 at Vandenberg.

What Is Atlas V 501?

Atlas V with 5m Fairing, 0 SRB, 1 Centaur upper stage engine.

Engines

RD-180

The RD-180 is derived from the RD-170/RD-171 line of rockets which were used in the Solviet Enerqia launch vehicle

RL10A-1

Three RL-10 versions are in production for the Centaur upper stage of the Atlas V and the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage(DCSS) for the Delta IV

[COBOL2Java]

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Some details from Everyday Astronaut: Project Kuiper Protoflight | Atlas V 501

United Launch Alliance is preparing for the first launch of Project Kuiper’s mega satellite constellation. This launch will take two prototype satellites to orbit. Launch will take place at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, United States from Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41).

Lift Off Time: October 6, 2023 – 18:00 UTC | 14:00 EDT
Mission Name: Project Kuiper Protoflight
Launch Provider: United Launch Alliance (ULA) Customer: Kuiper Systems LLC, also known as Project Kuiper (a subsidiary of Amazon)
Rocket: Atlas V 501
Launch Location: Space Launch Complex-41 (SLC-41)
Payload mass: Not specified, up to 8,123 kg (17,908 lb)
Where will the satellites go?: Low-Earth orbit
Will they be attempting to recover the first stage?: No, this is not a capability of the Atlas V rocket
Where will the first stage land?: It will crash into the Atlantic Ocean
Are these fairings new?: Yes
This is the:
– 2nd launch of the Atlas V rocket in 2023
– 3rd mission for ULA in 2023
– 99th overall Atlas V mission
– 158th overall ULA mission
– 1st launch of an Atlas V 501 since 2020
– 161st orbital launch attempt of 2023

Interesting naming system for Atlas V 501:
5 meter fairing
0 SRB
1 Centaur upper stage engine.

[Regulator]

Just more Russian rockets.

[Dacula]

14:06 lift off (EST)

[telescope115]

Thanks for the heads-up!!

[noiseman]

Not impressed. Their competitor launches his own satellites on his own rockets, as well as launching other company’s satellites, the government’s satellites, and even delivers the government’s astronauts to the ISS. Oh, and in his spare time he’s developing rockets to go to Mars.

All Amazon is doing is hitching a ride on a vehicle produced by a consortium that is hanging on by a thread because its outdated business model can barely produce a functional launch vehicle, even though they spend multiples of what SpaceX does.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Wow, Amazon made them cut off broadcasting prior to load separation! How secretive is that?

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I just noticed there's something VERY wrong with the ULA crew...

[Morgana]

I saw that. It figures.

[Blennos]

No real-time telemetry makes for a fairly bland presentation. And what of the booster landing back on earth?
No?

SpaceX is so much more advanced.

[Blennos]

Is that last one a man pretending to be a woman?

[Lurker]

“Is that last one a man pretending to be a woman?”

No. It’s a man pretending to be a woman pretending to be a man.

L

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

“”outdated business model””

NASA used to have ‘cost-plus contracts.’ Instead of a fixed price, the rocket / satellite manufacturers could just keep adding to the total $$$. The James Webb Telescope went from $2 billion to $10 billion, and sucked up funds for other planetary missions. SpaceX is so successful, they (Musk) have offered a free rocket and capsule to update / fix / extend the life of the amazing Hubble Space Telescope. SpaceX has REUSED some first stages 17 times!! While ULA, Boeing, etc launchers cost billions, SpaceX’s price per launch continues to plummet. Musk even launched satellites of a Starlink competitor. The competitor was sick and tired of waiting for their rocket.

At one point during the President Trump administration, Starship was testing, launching, improving once a month. The Hussain / Biden Regime will not let Starship launch too much. It makes NASA look like the slow moving leviathan that it is. It’s possible that the large Starship would be orbiting by now.

[Blennos]

It’s a man pretending to be a woman pretending to be a man.

Now my brain hurts.

[Freee-dame]

The speech that President Trump gave from Florida during (one of?) the first launch of a SpaceX rocket was perhaps the best speech of his entire presidency. It was inspiring and patriotic. Of course, it was not broadcast by the Propaganda Media.