Fiery blastoff of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the EchoStar XIX satellite from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fl., at 2:13 p.m. EST on Dec. 18, 2016. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FL - The mighty Atlas V rocket put on an awesome display of ferocious fury Sunday afternoon delivering a rousing display of rocketeering capability that propelled a new next generation high speed internet satellite to orbit for North America to the delight of spectators gathered around the Florida Space Coast.
The satellite will also delight American home and business subscribers users of HughesNet® - who should soon see dramatic improvements in speed and capability promised by satellite builder Space Systems Loral (SSL).
With the fiery blastoff of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, EchoStar XIX - the world's highest capacity broadband satellite - roared to space off Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fl., at 2:13 p.m. EST on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016.
"EchoStar XIX will dramatically increase capacity for HughesNet® high-speed satellite Internet service to homes and businesses in North America," according to ULA.
"EchoStar XIX will be the world's highest capacity broadband satellite in orbit."
Also known as Jupiter 2, it will deliver more speed, more data and more advanced features to consumers and small businesses from coast to coast, says EchoStar.
EchoStar 19 is based on the powerful SSL 1300 platform as a multi-spot beam Ka-band satellite.
It is upgraded from the prior series version.
"Building from their experience on the highly successful EchoStar XVII broadband satellite, SSL and Hughes collaboratively engineered the specific design details of this payload for optimum performance."
EchoStar 19 was ULA's final mission of 2016, ending another year of 100% success rates stretching back to the company's founding back in 2006, as a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
This is ULA's 12th launch in 2016 and the 115th successful launch since December 2006.
"ULA is honored to have been entrusted with the launch of the EchoStar XIX satellite," said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Human and Commercial Systems, in a statement.
"We truly believe that our success is only made possible by the phenomenal teamwork of our employees, customers and industry partners."
The 194-foot-tall commercial Atlas V booster will launch in the 431 rocket configuration with approximately 2 million pounds of first stage thrust. Three solid rocket motors are attached to the Atlas booster to augment the first stage powered by the dual nozzle RD AMROSS RD-180 engine.
The satellite is housed inside a 4-meter diameter extra extended payload fairing (XEPF). The Centaur upper stage was powered by the Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10C engine.
"As we celebrate 10 years, ULA continues to be the nation's premier launch provider because of our unmatched reliability and mission success," Wentz elaborated.
"The Atlas V continues to provide the optimum performance to precisely deliver a range of missions. As we move into our second decade, we will maintain our ongoing focus on mission success, one launch at a time even as we transform the space industry, making space more accessible, affordable and commercialized."
Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news.
Ken Kremer
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