How to watch tonight's powerful Atlas V launch from Cape Canaveral
Emre KellyUpdate: LIFTOFF of Atlas V from Cape Canaveral at 12:15 a.m. ET!
If all goes according to plan, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket set to its most powerful configuration will vault off a pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station early Wednesday with a $1.8 billion military communications satellite.
Teams have two hours – 12:15 a.m. to 2:15 a.m. – to boost the Air Force's Advanced Extremely High Frequency 4 spacecraft from Launch Complex 41 to a geosynchronous transfer orbit.
Weather, according to local Air Force forecasters, is 80 percent "go" for the attempt.
There are three parts to our coverage:
- Live video of the launch, available here or at our Facebook page.
- A live chat with space reporters James Dean and Emre Kelly.
- Real-time coverage of the launch in augmented reality available in our 321 LAUNCH app (download for iOS here and Android here).
Coverage kicks off at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday at floridatoday.com/space and will feature in-depth coverage, photos, charts and more. You can ask the team questions and strike up a conversation. We'll host ULA's live video.
In central Florida?
If you're under clear skies, you can look to the state's east coast to spot Atlas V launch from Cape Canaveral.
If you do step outside for the launch, bring your smartphone and stay tuned to live updates. The coverage is available at floridatoday.com/space in your mobile browser or in the 321 LAUNCH app.
Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com or 321-242-3715. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @EmreKelly.
Launch Wednesday:
- Rocket: ULA Atlas V
- Mission: Air Force's AEHF-4
- Launch Time: 12:15 a.m.
- Window: To 2:15 a.m.
- Launch Complex: 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
- Weather: 80 percent "go"
Join floridatoday.com/space for countdown updates and chat at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, including streaming of ULA's webcast starting about 20 minutes before liftoff.
Have you tried 321 LAUNCH?
Thanks to cutting-edge augmented reality technology, or the overlaying of digital objects onto the real world made possible by mobile cameras, spaceflight now fits in your pocket. Explore launch pads, rockets and live launches in detail right on your smartphone.
Find the free 321 LAUNCH app in Apple's App Store or in Google Play for Android devices.
System requirements list:
Apple: iPhone 6S or newer; fifth-generation iPad (2017) or newer. All require iOS 11 and later.
Android's AR capabilities are limited to specific models running 7.0 Nougat and later. See the full list at developers.google.com/ar/discover/