
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket will launch its heaviest-ever payload on Saturday morning (April 4), and you can watch the action live.
The Atlas V is scheduled to lift off Saturday at 1:45 a.m. EDT (0545 GMT) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, carrying 29 satellites for the Amazon Leo broadband constellation to orbit. Together, those spacecraft weigh 18 tons, according to ULA.
You can watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of ULA, or directly via the company. Coverage will begin 20 minutes before launch.
The Amazon Leo megaconstellation, previously known as Project Kuiper, will eventually consist of about 3,200 satellites in low Earth orbit. It's Amazon's answer to SpaceX's Starlink network, which beams internet service down from more than 10,000 satellites (and counting).
Amazon Leo is still in its early stages; just 212 of the spacecraft have reached orbit to date over the course of eight launches (not counting a 2023 liftoff that sent up two prototype satellites).
The Atlas V has flown four of those operational missions. Three employed SpaceX's Falcon 9, and the other one used Arianespace's Ariane 6 heavy lifter.
Saturday's launch, which Amazon calls LA-05, will be the first Atlas V mission to loft 29 Amazon Leo satellites; the others carried 27 of the spacecraft.
"The increase is a result of detailed engineering work between Amazon Leo and ULA, and is made possible by a new, higher-performing version of the RL10C engine used on the rocket's Centaur upper stage," Amazon representatives wrote in a mission description. "While the engine has flown on previous missions, LA-05 marks the first time the program has completed the extensive engineering and safety analysis required to use it with our larger payload."
And that payload is larger in a significant way, according to the LA-05 mission description: "With 29 satellites aboard, LA-05 will mark the heaviest payload ever flown on an Atlas V."
latest_posts
- 1
Watch China's Shenzhou 22 rescue ship arrive at Tiangong space station (video) - 2
From Fledgling to Master: Self-awareness in a Side interest - 3
Flight cancellations: Full list of 40 airports hit by FAA cuts amid government shutdown - 4
New method spots signs of Earth's primordial life in ancient rocks - 5
Don't miss these five impressive spots in Bangkok
Ukraine: Russians abduct 50 Ukrainians from border village in Sumy
Don't plan to cook on Thanksgiving? Here are the restaurants and fast food places that are scheduled to be open
Artemis II live updates: NASA's moon mission breaks Apollo record for farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth
April’s full pink moon will rise in the night sky this week
German Winemakers Rewrite The Rules Of Riesling In A Warming World
Eurasian cargo hub expands to capture Europe-Asia freight flows
Spain and Catholic Church agree to compensate sex abuse victims
Vote In favor of Your Favored Kind Of Bites
Coffee Prices Finish Higher on Brazil Cop Concerns













