The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 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. (Photo credit: United Launch Alliance)
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATON - United Launch Alliance (ULA) has scrubbed the launch of its Atlas V rocket for the second time due to an issue with the Atlas V booster liquid oxygen tank vent valve.
ULA attempted to launch on Wednesday night, but scrubbed that launch due to an issue with the oxygen tank vent valve. That same issue plagued the launch on Thursday night, ULA said in a brief statement.
Officials will now evaluate the equipment. A new launch date has not yet been determined, ULA said.
What is the ULA Atlas V ViaSat-3 F2 Mission?
What we know:
An Atlas 5 rocket will be carrying a Ka-band communications satellite for Viasat, a California-based company. The satellite is designed to provide broadband services over the Americas to address increasing customer demand, according to Viasat.
Has a new launch date been set?
Not yet.
"The team will evaluate the hardware, and we will release a new launch date when available," ULA said in a statement.
Record-breaking launches for the Space Coast
The Space Coast is nearing a record-breaking year for launches from Florida. So far, there have been 92. If ULA’s launch is successful on Thursday, it will mark the 93rd launch of the year—tying with last year’s record. But the Space Coast could see 100 launches in a year for the first time ever.
Blue Origin is planning a second launch of its New Glenn rocket from Space Launch Complex 36 on Sunday. The rocket will carry a pair of NASA spacecraft to orbit Mars and observe the planet’s magnetic fields. Then, SpaceX has at least five launches planned for Florida this month—all in support of its Starlink Mission.
The Source: Information used in this article was sourced from ULA, SpaceX and NASA.