List of Atlas launches (2020–2029) explained

See main article: article and List of Atlas launches.

Notable missions

Boeing Crew Flight Test

Launch statistics

Rocket configurations

Launch history

2020

Flight No.Date / time
(UTC)		Rocket,
Configuration		Launch sitePayloadPayload
mass (kg)		OrbitCustomerLaunch
outcome
AV-08710 February 2020, 04:03Atlas V 411Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Solar Orbiter1,800HeliocentricESA[1]
ESA/NASA Heliophysics probe
AV-08626 March 2020, 20:18Atlas V 551Cape Canaveral, SLC-41USA-298 (AEHF-6, TDO-2)6,168GTOUS Space Force[2]
Sixth and final Advanced Extremely High Frequency military communications satellite
AV-08117 May 2020, 13:14Atlas V 501Cape Canaveral, SLC-41USA-299 (X-37B OTV-6, FalconSat-8)~5,000LEOUnited States Space Force[3]
Sixth flight of the X-37B military spaceplane; first with a service module, plus FalconSat-8 satellite.
AV-08830 July 2020, 11:50Atlas V 541Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Mars 2020 (inc Perseverance, Ingenuity)3,839HeliocentricNASA[4]
Spacecraft for NASA's Mars 2020 mission.
AV-09013 November 2020, 22:32Atlas V 531Cape Canaveral, SLC-41USA-310 (NROL-101)MEONRO[5]
Unknown National Reconnaissance Office payload, first Atlas launch with updated GEM-63 strap-on solid rocket boosters. Originally thought to be a Molniya mission. Later sightings instead pointed towards a MEO mission. Likely an experimental payload.

2021

Flight No.Date / time
(UTC)		Rocket,
Configuration		Launch sitePayloadPayload
mass (kg)		OrbitCustomerLaunch
outcome
AV-09118 May 2021, 17:37Atlas V 421Cape Canaveral, SLC-41USA 315 (SBIRS GEO-5)~4,500[6] GTOUnited States Space Force[7]
Fifth Space-Based Infrared System Geostationary satellite.
AV-09227 September 2021, 18:12Atlas V 401Vandenberg, SLC-3ELandsat 9
L9EFS		2,711[8]
+510 kg		SSONASA / USGS[9]
Eighth Landsat geological survey satellite in orbit. Additionally launched the U.S. Space Force (USSF) Landsat-9 ESPA Flight System (L9EFS) which delivered several additional cubesats to orbit as a result of a cooperative engagement between NASA and U.S. Space Force to increase access to space for small satellite systems.[10]
AV-09616 October 2021, 09:34Atlas V 401Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Lucy1,550HeliocentricNASA[11]
NASA mission to explore six Jupiter trojan asteroids.[12] Final interplanetary mission launched by the Atlas rocket family.
AV-0937 December 2021, 10:19Atlas V 551Cape Canaveral, SLC-41STP-3 (STPSat-6 & LDPE-1)GEOUnited States Space Force[13]
The primary payload is the STPSat-6 satellite carrying SABRS-3, NASA's LCRD, and seven Defense Department Space Experiments Review Board space weather and situational awareness payloads. Alongside STPSat-6 was an integrated propulsive EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (IP-ESPA) holding up to six payloads.[14] The STP-3 mission also debuted three engineering features designed to reduce risk and accumulate flight experience before use on Vulcan Centaur: an Out-of-Autoclave (OoA) payload fairings, an in-flight power system and GPS enhanced navigation.[15] The launch was delayed multiple times, first in January due to the launch readiness of the STPSat-6 satellite,[16] in June due to some ringing of the RL10-C's new carbon nozzle extension observed during the SBIRS GEO-5 mission,[17] and in November due to a space vehicle processing issue.[18]

2022

Flight No.Date / time
(UTC)		Rocket,
Configuration		Launch sitePayloadPayload
mass (kg)		OrbitCustomerLaunch
outcome
AV-08421 January 2022, 19:00Atlas V 511Cape Canaveral, SLC-41USSF-8 (GSSAP 5 & 6)GEOUnited States Space Force[19]
USSF-8 launched two identical Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness satellites, GSSAP-5 and 6, directly to a geosynchronous orbit.[20] First and only flight of 511 configuration.
AV-0951 March 2022, 21:38Atlas V 541Cape Canaveral, SLC-41GOES-T5,200GTONOAA[21]
GOES meteorological satellite. GOES-T, which will be renamed GOES-18 once it reaches geostationary orbit, will replace GOES-17 as NOAA's operational GOES West satellite.[22]
AV-08219 May 2022, 22:54Atlas V N22Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Boeing Orbital Flight Test 2 (S2.1)~13,000LEO (ISS)Boeing[23]
Atlas V releases the Starliner spacecraft on a transatmospheric orbit[24] with apogee of 181 km and a perigee of 72 km.[25] Starliner used its own engines to enter low Earth orbit and make its way to the International Space Station.
AV-0941 July 2022, 23:15Atlas V 541Cape Canaveral, SLC-41USSF-12 (WFOV & USSF-12 Ring)GEOUnited States Space Force[26]
Rideshare mission consisting of 2 spacecraft. The forward payload was the Wide-field of View (WFOV) testbed that informs the Next Gen Overhead Persistent Infrared program (NG-OPIR) which will replace the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS). The aft payload was a propulsive ESPA named the USSF-12 Ring, which is a mission for the Department of Defence. 100th flight of an RD-180 engine.
AV-0974 August 2022, 10:29Atlas V 421Cape Canaveral, SLC-41USA-336 (SBIRS GEO-6)~4,500[27] GTOUnited States Space Force[28]
Sixth and final Space-Based Infrared System Geostationary satellite. Final flight of an Atlas V with 4-meter fairing from Cape Canaveral.
AV-0994 October 2022, 21:36Atlas V 531Cape Canaveral, SLC-41SES-20 & SES-21~3,300GEOSES[29]
Boeing built communication satellites. Satellites launched on a dual stack configuration. SES-20 will be located as an in-orbit spare at 103° West, while SES-21 will be operated at 131° West.[30]
AV-09810 November 2022, 09:49Atlas V 401Vandenberg, SLC-3EJPSS-2 (NOAA-21) & LOFTID4,154SSONOAA[31]
Second JPSS weather satellite; joint NASA/ULA inflatable heat shield demonstrator (LOFTID).[32] Last launch of an Atlas V rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Final flight of an Atlas V with a 4-meter fairing. 100th use of Single Engine Centaur.

2023

Flight No.Date / time
(UTC)		Rocket,
Configuration		Launch sitePayloadPayload
mass (kg)		OrbitCustomerLaunch
outcome
AV-10210 September 2023, 12:47Atlas V 551Cape Canaveral, SLC-41USA-346, USA-347 & USA-348
(NROL-107, Silentbarker)[33] 		GEONRO[34]
Unknown NRO payload. Final NRO launch on an Atlas V.
AV-1046 October 2023, 18:06Atlas V 501Cape Canaveral, SLC-41KuiperSat-1 & KuiperSat-2LEOKuiper Systems[35]
Project Kuiper Protoflight mission, carrying two demonstrator satellites. This is the Final Atlas V 501.

2024

Flight No.Date / time
(UTC)		Rocket,
Configuration		Launch sitePayloadPayload
mass (kg)		OrbitCustomerLaunch
outcome
AV-085 5 June 2024, 14:52Atlas V N22Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Boeing Crew Flight Test (Boeing Starliner S3.2 Calypso)~13,000LEO (ISS)NASA[36]
Crewed flight test of the Starliner spacecraft to the ISS, with Sunita Williams and Barry E. Wilmore. First crewed launch of Atlas V. 100th Atlas V launch.
AV-10130 July 2024, 10:45Atlas V 551Cape Canaveral, SLC-41USSF-51GEOUnited States Space Force[37]
First launch for United Launch Alliance under National Security Space Launch. Launch vehicle transferred from Vulcan Centaur to Atlas V. Final USSF launch on an Atlas V.

Future launches

In August 2021, ULA announced that Atlas V would be retired, and all 29 remaining launches had been sold.[38], 15 launches remain, all of which are listed here: six Starliner missions, eight launches for Project Kuiper, and one launch for ViaSat.

Date (NET)Rocket,
Configuration		Launch sitePayloadOrbitCustomer
2025[39] Atlas V 551Cape Canaveral, SLC-41ViaSat-3 F2GTOViaSat
First commercial contract directly signed with ULA.[40] Communications satellite.
2025[41] [42] [43] [44] Atlas V 551Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Project KuiperLEOKuiper Systems
Atlas V 551Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Project KuiperLEOKuiper Systems
Atlas V 551Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Project KuiperLEOKuiper Systems
Atlas V 551Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Project KuiperLEOKuiper Systems
Atlas V 551Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Project KuiperLEOKuiper Systems
Atlas V 551Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Project KuiperLEOKuiper Systems
Atlas V 551Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Project KuiperLEOKuiper Systems
Atlas V 551Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Project KuiperLEOKuiper Systems
Satellite internet constellation. Remaining 8 of the 9 Atlas V Kuiper launches.
TBD[45] Atlas V N22Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Boeing Starliner-1LEO (ISS)Boeing
First operational Starliner flight. Date depends on results of the Boeing Crewed Flight Test.
TBDAtlas V N22Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Boeing Starliner-2LEO (ISS)Boeing
TBDAtlas V N22Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Boeing Starliner-3LEO (ISS)Boeing
TBDAtlas V N22Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Boeing Starliner-4LEO (ISS)Boeing
TBDAtlas V N22Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Boeing Starliner-5LEO (ISS)Boeing
TBDAtlas V N22Cape Canaveral, SLC-41Boeing Starliner-6LEO (ISS)Boeing
NASA has placed firm orders for three Starliner flights once the capsule is certified for operational use. Under the terms of its contract with Boeing it has the option to purchase up to six operational flights, Starliner-1 through Starliner-6, however it is unclear if it will be possible to operate that many missions before the scheduled retirement of the ISS in 2030.[46]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches Solar Orbiter to Study the Sun. United Launch Alliance. 10 February 2020. 10 February 2020.
  2. Web site: United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches First National Security Space Mission for the U.S. Space Force . United Launch Alliance. 26 March 2020. 27 July 2020.
  3. Web site: United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches the Sixth Orbital Test Vehicle for the U.S. Space Force. United Launch Alliance. 17 May 2020. 18 May 2020.
  4. Web site: United Launch Alliance Atlas V Successfully Launches Mars 2020 Mission for NASA. United Launch Alliance. 30 July 2020. 31 July 2020.
  5. Web site: United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches NROL-101 Mission in Support of National Security. United Launch Alliance. 14 November 2020. 14 November 2020.
  6. Web site: Sbirs-Geo 5, 6.
  7. Web site: United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches SBIRS GEO Flight 5 Mission in Support of National Security. United Launch Alliance. 18 May 2021. 18 May 2021.
  8. Web site: Landsat 8, 9 (LDCM).
  9. Web site: United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches Important Earth Science Mission for NASA. United Launch Alliance. 27 September 2021. 16 October 2021.
  10. Web site: U.S. Space Force partners with NASA and U.S. Geological Survey on Landsat 9 mission Mission marks 300th Atlas and 2,000th launch since 1958 from Vandenberg. U.S. Space Force. 28 Sep 2021. 1 Sep 2022.
  11. Web site: Warren . Haygen . NASA, ULA launch historic Lucy mission . . 15 October 2021 . 16 October 2021.
  12. Web site: NASA Selects United Launch Alliance's Reliable Atlas V Rocket to Launch Lucy Mission to Jupiter's Trojan Asteroids. United Launch Alliance (ULA). 31 January 2019. 31 January 2019.
  13. Web site: United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches Critical National Security Mission direct to GEO. United Launch Alliance (ULA). 7 December 2021. 7 December 2021.
  14. Web site: STPSat 6. 19 March 2020. 5 June 2020.
  15. Web site: Atlas V STP-3. 25 October 2021.
  16. ULA . ulalaunch . 1353724523787522080 . 25 January 2021. The launch of a ULA #AtlasV 551 rocket carrying the #STP3 mission for the @USSF_SMC has been delayed to enable the customer to evaluate the launch readiness of the STP Satellite-6 spacecraft. 14 June 2021. live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210201092653/https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1353724523787522080 . 1 February 2021.
  17. Bruno . Tory . torybruno. 1400804500215042054. 4 June 2021. @StephenClark1 Those watching the live feed, may have observed some ringing of RL10s's new carbon nozzle extension. While it did its job, boosting RL10's eye watering performance even a bit higher, we want to make sure we fully understand that behavior before flying this configuration again. 14 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210604142747/https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/1400804500215042054 . 4 June 2021. live.
  18. ulalaunch. 1458132475037814789. The launch of a ULA #AtlasV 551 rocket carrying the #STP3 mission for the @SpaceForceDOD was delayed due to a space vehicle processing issue. The new launch date is Dec. 4, 2021. . 9 November 2021. 9 November 2021.
  19. Web site: United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches Critical Space Surveillance Mission for U.S. Space Force. United Launch Alliance (ULA). 22 January 2022. 22 January 2022.
  20. Web site: Atlas V USSF-8. 7 December 2021.
  21. Web site: United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches Advanced Weather Satellite GOES-T. United Launch Alliance (ULA). 2 March 2022. 2 March 2022.
  22. Web site: Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite - R Series (Highlights: Launches). 18 January 2022.
  23. Web site: United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches the Boeing CST-100 Starliner on Orbital Flight Test-2. United Launch Alliance (ULA). 20 May 2022. 20 May 2022.
  24. Web site: Mission Overview. United Launch Alliance (ULA).
  25. Web site: Atlas V Starliner OFT-2 Mission Profile . . 27 July 2021 .
  26. Web site: United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches Critical National Security Mission for U.S. Space Force . United Launch Alliance (ULA). 2 July 2022. 2 July 2022.
  27. Web site: Sbirs-Geo 5, 6.
  28. Web site: United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches Missile Warning Satellite for U.S. Space Force. United Launch Alliance. 4 August 2022. 4 August 2022.
  29. Web site: Kanayama . Lee . Final Atlas V 531 launches dual SES-20 and SES-21 satellites . . 4 October 2022 . 5 October 2022.
  30. Web site: SES-20/21: Commercial satellite tandem stacked atop Atlas V . . 20 September 2022 . 20 September 2022 . SES-20 and SES-21 will operate in the 103 degrees West and 131 degrees West orbital slots, respectively..
  31. Web site: Gebhardt . Chris . Atlas rocket bids farewell to California as ULA readies for Vulcan . . 10 November 2022 . 10 November 2022.
  32. Web site: Foust . Jeff . NOAA finalizes secondary payload for JPSS-2 launch . . 10 March 2020 . 29 April 2021.
  33. Web site: United Launch Alliance Wins Competitive Contract Award to Launch Three National Security Space Missions for the Department of Defense. ULA. 20 February 2019. 20 February 2019.
  34. Web site: Atkinson . Ian . ULA conducts NROL-107 launch, last Atlas NRO mission . . 10 September 2023 . 10 September 2023.
  35. Web site: Mike . Wall . Atlas V rocket launches Amazon's 1st 2 internet satellites to orbit (video) . Space.com . 6 October 2023 . 6 October 2023.
  36. Web site: Elizabeth . Howell . Boeing's Starliner launches astronauts for 1st time in historic liftoff (photos, video) . Space.com . 5 June 2024 . 5 June 2024.
  37. Web site: Atlas V has launched on its last ever national security mission. Justin. Davenport. 29 July 2024. 29 July 2024. NasaSpaceFlight.
  38. News: Roulette. Joey. ULA stops selling its centerpiece Atlas V, setting path for the rocket's retirement. 1 September 2021. The Verge. 26 August 2021.
  39. Web site: Viasat Shareholder Letter: Q3 Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results . 6 February 2024 . 7 February 2024 . Viasat.
  40. Web site: Viasat Selects United Launch Alliance's Proven Atlas V Rocket for Commercial Satellite Launch . . 10 September 2018 . 10 September 2018.
  41. News: ULA will launch its second Vulcan rocket without a real payload. Stephen. Clark. 26 June 2024. 27 June 2024.
  42. Web site: Amazon Secures United Launch Alliance's Proven Atlas V Rocket for Nine Project Kuiper Launches. ULA. 19 April 2021. 19 April 2021.
  43. News: Amazon shifts launch of its first Internet satellites to Atlas V rocket. Stephen. Clark. 7 August 2023. 7 August 2023. Ars Technica.
  44. Jeff Foust. jeff_foust. 1841557509133480088. A couple notes from today's ULA Cert-2 briefing.
  45. Web site: Niles-Carnes . Elyna . 2024-10-15 . NASA Updates 2025 Commercial Crew Plan . 2024-10-15 . NASA . en-US.
  46. News: Clark . Stephen . August 25, 2024 . NASA's Starliner decision was the right one, but it's a crushing blow for Boeing . August 26, 2024 . . en-us . Tellingly, perhaps, NASA has only placed firm orders with Boeing for three Starliner flights once the agency certifies the spacecraft for operational use..

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of Atlas launches (2020–2029)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.