Blastoff! Atlas V rocket launches 29 Amazon satellites from Florida

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 We have ignition one and liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket carrying another 29 satellites for Amazon Leo. These spacecraft will deliver fast, reliable internet to customers around the world.

[00:00:25]60 mph.

[00:00:27]Booster to close loop control.

[00:00:31]RD 180 throttling down per flight program.

[00:00:37]Vehicle parameters look nominal.

[00:00:41]Pitchover maneuver complete.

[00:00:44]Roll program complete.

[00:00:47]Mach 1 Atlas 5 is now supersonic.

[00:00:55]Vehicle is traveling down the center of the range track and is 2 miles downrange.

[00:01:00]>> You are here Sarah Kelly providing launch vehicle ascent data.

[00:01:05]>> Max Q. The vehicle just experienced the maximum dynamic pressure predicted for today's flight.

[00:01:10]>> In about 15 seconds, the first stage engine will throttle down to prepare for separation of the solid rocket boosters.

[00:01:16]>> 2,000 mph and is 11 miles from Earth.

[00:01:26]Main engine is throttling down in preparation for SRB burnout.

[00:01:35]>> Vehicle now weighs half of its original liftoff weight.

[00:01:43]>> This is Atlas mission control at L plus 1 minute 35 seconds. We're coming up on burnout and jettison of the solid rocket boosters. These additional motors increase the thrust at liftoff, giving Atlas an extra boost off the pad.

[00:01:59]>> And we have positive indication of separation for all five SRBs.

[00:02:04]Guidance initiated. Vehicle has entered a closed loop steering program.

[00:02:14]>> We are just over 2 minutes into flight.

[00:02:16]Coming up next, the Atlas 5 rocket will transition to closed loop steering, meaning it will use real-time flight data to adjust its path.

[00:02:24]>> One thing many people don't realize about launch day is that these key milestones are pre-programmed into the rocket's onboard computer, known as its avionics system.

[00:02:31]>> While it may seem like engineers are commanding each step in real time, that work is done in advance and tested in ULA's system integrations lab in Denver.

[00:02:39]On launch day, the team is focused on monitoring the data coming back from the rocket to make sure everything is performing as expected.

[00:02:51]The vehicle is holding acceleration steady in preparation for PLF jettison.

[00:02:58]>> RCS bottle pyro.

[00:03:00]>> This is Atlas mission control L plus 2 minutes 50 seconds. In just a few moments, we'll have jettison of the payload fairings.

[00:03:14]Confirmation of payload fairing separation and jettison >> as well as CFLR deck jettison.

[00:03:24]RD-180 throttling up as expected.

[00:03:28]>> We've now heard confirmation of payload fairing jettison. This composite fairing protected the spacecraft as it pushed through the harshest parts of Earth's atmosphere. Coming up is cut off of the Atlas first stage engine and separation of the booster stage, followed by ignition of ULA's Centaur second stage engine.

[00:03:45]>> These events occur when the first stage has escaped Earth's atmosphere, getting above the Carmen line and entering into space.

[00:03:51]>> ULA's Centaur upper stage with the Amazon LEO satellites attached then takes over on a trajectory to a precise location in low Earth orbit. Let's listen in as we approach these milestones.

[00:04:02]>> 30 seconds remaining until Bo We've begun the boost phase chillown to prepare the second stage.

[00:04:22]PU to open loop control. Boost phase chill down complete.

[00:04:33]Eco RD 180 burn has concluded.

[00:04:39]Booster separation confirmed.

[00:04:43]Centaur fuel and liquid oxygen pre-art.

[00:04:49]RL10 ignition and ramp to full thrust.

[00:04:55]Performance is nominal.

[00:04:59]This is Atlas mission control at L plus 4 minutes 50 seconds. We just heard ULA's flight commentator confirm the successful completion of the early milestones in today's flight and all systems continue to operate nominally.

[00:05:10]We have about 13 minutes until we reach our next mission event shutdown of Centaur's main engine. During our break and commentary, we'll continue to stream live animation from flight.

[00:05:32]Format switch to TRIS compatible data rates. Signal strength remains nominal.

[00:06:00]Cintarpu has transitioned to closed loop control.

[00:06:14]RCS thermal conditioning firings continue as expected.

[00:06:25]Vehicle continues down the center of the range track and is 680 mi downrange.

[00:06:58]preliminary assessment of booster performance has us at plus one sigma to our pre-flight predictions.

[00:07:17]Expected attitude adjustment to align with Tedrris East satellite PU system operating as expected, working to optimize propellant usage for today's flight.

[00:08:03]RCS duty cycling as expected.

[00:08:17]Vehicle is 1,50 mi downrange traveling at 12,440 mph.