Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Atlas V SES-20 SES-21

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 531 rocket will launch the SES-20 and SES-21 satellites into near-geosynchronous orbit to provide television broadcasting services across the United States. The commercial dual-payload launch is in service to satellite operator SES of Luxembourg. Liftoff will o...

SES-20 & SES-21

Overview

Destination: Geostationary Orbit
Mission: Communications

Geostationary Orbit Space Launch Complex 41 Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA Probability: 90%

SES-20 & SES-21 are a pair of C-band communication satellites built by Boeing, using the highly efficient all-electric propulsion BSS-702SP satellite bus. These satellites will enable SES to clear 280MHz of mid-band spectrum for 5G use while seamlessly migrating SES’s existing C-band customers and ensuring the continued delivery of digital television to nearly 120 million American TV homes and other critical data services.

Telemetry

Launch trajectory and telemetry simulations provided by Flight Club - a rocket launch simulator and orbital trajectory visualiser for all things space!

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • Oct. 5, 2022, 4:37 a.m.

Launch success


SwGustav • Oct. 4, 2022, 9:36 p.m.

Liftoff


SwGustav • Oct. 4, 2022, 9:16 p.m.

Coverage live


Nosu • Oct. 4, 2022, 3:56 p.m.

Weather 90%



Atlas V 531

Family:
Configuration: 531

Atlas V with 5m Fairing, 3 SRB, 1 Centaur upper stage engine.

Specifications
  • Max Stage
    2
  • Length
    60.0 m
  • Diameter
    3.8 m
  • Fairing Diameter
  • Launch Mass
    479.0 T
  • Thrust
Family
  • Name
    Atlas V 531
  • Family
  • Variant
    531
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Atlas V 531
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $140000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    15530.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    7450.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
    3080.0 kg
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

United Launch Alliance

United Launch Alliance

(ULA)

CEO: Tory Bruno Founded: 2006 Successes: 165 Failures: 0 Pending: 44

Agency Type:

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.

INFO WIKI

Related News

Spaceflight Now

Atlas 5 rocket completes high-altitude tandem satellite delivery for SES

Running a few days late after a delay caused by Hurricane Ian, an Atlas 5 rocket built by United Launch Alliance thundered off a launch pad at Cape Canaveral Tuesday and soared to an altitude of nearly 22,000 miles to deploy two commercial…

NASASpaceflight

Final Atlas V 531 launches dual SES-20 and SES-21 satellites

United Launch Alliance (ULA) has launched the dual-manifested SES-20 & 21 telecommunication satellites on the final Atlas V 531 rocket to a near-circular geosynchronous orbit (GSO). The Atlas V launched from Space Launch Complex-41 (SLC-41…

Spaceflight Now

Atlas 5 rocket rolls launch pad at Cape Canaveral with two SES comsats

United Launch Alliance hauled an Atlas 5 rocket to its launch pad Monday at Cape Canaveral on the eve of a planned blastoff with two commercial television broadcasting satellites for SES, owner of one of the largest fleets of geostationary…

Arstechnica

Florida’s Space Coast on track after Ian, set for 3 launches in 3 days

Managers will assess the scope of work to perform while in the VAB.

Spaceflight Now

SpaceX, ULA postpone launches as Hurricane Ian moves toward Florida

The forecast track of Hurricane Ian across Central Florida has forced SpaceX and United Launch Alliance to postpone several launches planned in the coming days at Cape Canaveral, including the next crew flight to the International Space St…

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Space Launch Complex 41


Falcon 9
Success
2 hours, 51 minutes ago
Starlink Group 12-19
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Success
7 hours, 38 minutes ago
Full Stream Ahead (BlackSky Gen-3 2)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

2nd of the BlackSky Gen-3 high resolution Earth-imaging satellites.


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 11 hours ago
Starlink Group 11-18
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


New Shepard
Success
2 days, 17 hours ago
NS-32
West Texas Suborbital Launch Site/ Corn Ranch - Corn Ranch, Van Horn, TX, USA

NS-32 is the 12th crewed flight for the New Shepard program and the 32nd in its history.


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 13 hours ago
GPS III SV08
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Eighth of ten GPS III missions.


Long March 4B
Success
5 days, 3 hours ago
Shijian 26
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Chinese experimental satellite claimed to be for "Earth observation & environmental management" purposes, details not known.


Long March 3
Success
5 days, 14 hours ago
Tianwen-2
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Tianwen-2 is a planned Chinese asteroid sample return and comet orbiter mission due for launch in May 2025. The spacecraft will visit the Near Earth …


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 18 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-32
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Starship
Failure
6 days, 7 hours ago
Flight 9
Orbital Launch Mount A - SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA

9th test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle.


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 14 hours ago
Starlink Group 17-1
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.