Tuesday, August 13, 2019

ULA Atlas V Roars to Orbit with Air Force AEHF-5 Relay Satellite for American Troops Generating ‘Space Jellyfish’: Gallery

Streaking to Orbit and generating a ‘space jellyfish’: United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the Advanced Extremely High Frequency AEHF-5 jam resistant military communications satellite for the USAF blasts off at twilights dawn to GTO in this wide angle fisheye photo on Aug. 8, 2019 at 6:13 a.m. ET from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
Ken Kremer -- SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM – 12 August 2019

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FL – The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket put on an absolutely awesome display of fire and fury while generating a beautifully picturesque ‘space jellyfish’ moments after the dawn blastoff of the Advanced Extremely High Frequency-5 (AEHF-5) national security communications satellite for the U.S. Air Force maintaining global relay connectivity of American and Allied troops and commanders in a worst case scenario of nuclear war.

The ULA Atlas V AEHF-5 blastoff and streak skywards to geostationary orbit certainly counts as one of the most beautiful and thrilling launches ever witnessed from the Florida Space Coast – everyone unanimously agreed!

The 20-story tall ULA Atlas V rocket carrying the $1.2 Billion Lockheed Martin built AEHF-5 military satcom mission for the U.S. Air Force Space Command finally lifted off from seaside Space Launch Complex-41, Thursday, Aug. 8 at 6:13 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL.

Enjoy all the exquisite action through our exclusive Space UpClose gallery of photos and videos stationed at the Cape and the launch pad. Check back as the gallery grows. 

Read our complete launch story here. 
Up Close Engine view of the fiery fury spewing from the five first stage Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ-60A solid rocket boosters and liquid fueled dual nozzle Russian made RD-180 engine after launch of the ULA Atlas V carrying the Advanced Extremely High Frequency AEHF-5 jam resistant military communications satellite for the U.S. Air Force on Aug. 8, 2019 at 6:13 a.m. ET from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on US national security mission. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
Some five and a half hours after liftoff AEHF-5 was released from the Centaur upper stage and successfully delivered the 6.8 ton behemoth to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). 


ULA Atlas V rocket carrying the Advanced Extremely High Frequency AEHF-5 jam resistant military communications satellite for the U.S. Air Force blasts off on Aug. 8, 2019 at 6:13 a.m. ET from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on a national security mission securely connecting US troops globally with US national leadership. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com


Streaking to Orbit and generating a ‘space jellyfish’: United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the Advanced Extremely High Frequency AEHF-5 jam resistant military communications satellite for the USAF blasts off at twilights dawn to GTO in this wide angle fisheye photo on Aug. 8, 2019 at 6:13 a.m. ET from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
After orbit raising thrust firings over the next few weeks AEHF-5 will operate in geostationary orbit circling 22,300 miles (36000 kilometers) above Earth.


ULA Atlas V rocket carrying the Advanced Extremely High Frequency AEHF-5 jam resistant military communications satellite for the U.S. Air Force blasts off on Aug. 8, 2019 at 6:13 a.m. ET from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on a national security mission securely connecting US troops globally with US national leadership. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

AEHF-5 is fifth in line of a jam-resistant six-satellite constellation vital for U.S. National Defense joining four others already in orbit.










The satellite was encapsulated inside a RUAG Space built short payload fairing (PLF) - approximately 5.4 meters (17-feet) in diameter and 20.7 meters (68-feet) tall for the ride to orbit. 

The 197 foot tall (60 m) workhorse Atlas V rocket launched in the commanding 551 configuration which comprises a LOX & RP-1 kerosene-fueled common core booster powered by a Russian-made RD-180 main engine, a five-meter-diameter payload fairing built by RUAG Space in Switzerland, five first stage strap-on AJ-60A solid rocket motors built by Aerojet-Rocketdyne and a single RL-10C engine LOX & LH2 fueled Centaur upper stage.



The nuclear hardened AEHF satellites provide secure, protected communications that instantly connect US warfighters on the ground across the globe with military commanders and top US leadership including the President to control their tactical and strategic forces in times of peace and wartime needs critical to US survival. 









The highly advanced satellites are designed to withstand fierce radiation pummeling in nightmare scenarios from enemy nuclear attacks.   













The AEHF satellites are equipped with 2 SHF Downlink Phased Arrays, 2 Crosslinks, 2 Uplink/Downlink Nulling Antennas, 1 Uplink EHF Phased Array, 6 Uplink/Downlink  Gimbaled Dish Antenna, 1 Each Uplink/downlink earth coverage horns.



The data rate capability ranges from 75 bps to approximately 8 Mbps.



The AEHF system includes international partners from the United Kingdom, Canada and the Netherlands.



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My commentary about both the back to back ULA and SpaceX launches was featured on local Channel 13 Spectrum TV News and the Front Page of Florida Today:
Dr. Ken Kremer/Space UpClose post launch interview with Spectrum News 13 about ULA Atlas V AEHF-5 military comsat launch Aug. 8, 2019. Screenshot: Ken Kremer/Spectrum 13

Dr. Ken Kremer/Space UpClose post launch interview on Florida Today front page Aug. 9, 2019 about ULA Atlas V AEHF-5 launch Aug. 8, 2019
The next Atlas V launch will be the first uncrewed Orbital Flight Test (OFT) of the Boeing Starliner commercial crew vehicle.

No launch date has been announced but could be as soon as late September or October.

But it could come about 4 to 6 weeks after this Atlas, as ULA can now process and stack the next Atlas former NASA astronaut and current Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson told me recently. 



Ken is onsite at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for live reporting of the ULA AEHF-5 mission launch.

Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.

Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com

Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics.
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Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events


Ken’s upcoming outreach events:

Aug 30, 7 PM: Skyscrapers Inc Astronomical Society, Seagrave Memorial Observatory, 47 Peeptoad Road, North Scituate, Rhode Island:

“Exploring Mars and the Search for life – 3D” – Learn all about NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover illustrated with Ken’s custom created Mars rover panoramas from Curiosity, Spriit and Opportunity and up close clean room and launch pad views. Plus brief presentation from Space Shuttle seamstress Jean Wright.  Free and open to public

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