Liftoff: Atlas V Rocket with ViaSat-3 F2 Communications Satellite |ULA FriendsofNASA.org: Watch the liftoff of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the 13,000-pound (6-metric-ton) ViaSat-3 F2 ultra-high-capacity broadband satellite. ULA launched the Atlas V at 10:04 p.m. EST (0304 UTC) from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The rocket is traveling through space on its 3.5-hour mission to deliver the ViaSat-3 F2 ultra-high-capacity satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. Watch

The 53rd Space Operations Squadron stands at the frontier of space-based communications and satellite command — ensuring warfighters, allies, and global operations stay connected across every domain. As operators and stewards of critical satellite constellations and space systems, 53 SOPS delivers resilient, secure, and continuous capability that underpins U.S. and allied access to space. Their mission: operate, monitor, and defend space-based assets and communications channels, providing vital