LIVE IMAGES: Refresh this page to see the latest images from the Atlas launch complex at Cape Canaveral.
The next critical step before the 8:22 p.m. Atlas 5 launch will be the Centaur upper stage chilldown at 7:12 p.m. EDT in preparation to load cryogenic fuel.
With a lower stage powered by kerosene, Atlas rockets are fueled much later in the countdown than Delta rockets or the space shuttle, which are fueled with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen hours before launch.
Fueling begins at 7:56 p.m. At 8:08 p.m. the countdown undergoes a 10-minute hold to check systems. The launch window opens at 8:22 p.m. and lasts until 9:33 p.m.
The Atlas 5 first stage is powered by a Russian RD-180 engine that uses kerosene and liquid oxygen. The Centaur upper stage is powered by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
This will be the 11th flight of an Atlas 5 rocket. A military communications satellite will make a 31-minute trip into an orbit 22,500 miles above the Earth.
Milestones before launch include:
12:20 p.m. - Apply power
1 p.m. - Weather briefing
7:12 p.m. - Begin Centaur engine chilldown
7:17 p.m. - Start flight control final preps
7:56 p.m. - Begin fuel fill sequence
8:08 p.m. - Ten-minute countdown hold
8:22 p.m. - Launch
Atlas Mission Booklet with details of the launch. Click here.
BOATERS, AVOID A $50,000 FINE:
The map hyperlinked below shows the Eastern Range's Launch Hazard Area for the scheduled launch of an Atlas V rocket on Wednesday between 8:22 and 9:33 p.m.
Mariners are asked to remain clear of the LHA from 6:15 p.m. to 10:20 p.m. Persons entering this zone while it’s an active launch area should be aware that penalties up to $50,000 are authorized to punish violators.
Map for mariners.
Read about the Wideband Global SATCOM satellite: Click here.
Illustration of WGS satellite
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