CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, Fla. – In a nighttime spectacle, a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket roared into the Florida sky on EST, successfully deploying a powerful new communications satellite. The mission, carrying the ViaSat-3 Flight 2 (F2) satellite for global communications provider Viasat, marks a significant step forward in the effort to provide high-speed, global broadband connectivity.
The launch from Space Launch Complex-41 initiated a crucial journey for the advanced spacecraft, placing it on a trajectory to a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). From its final orbital position, the satellite is poised to become a cornerstone of Viasat’s multi-orbit network, serving a diverse clientele that includes residential consumers, commercial enterprises, and government agencies.
Gary Wentz, ULA’s vice president of Government and Commercial Programs, emphasized the company’s commitment to mission success and partnership. “We pride ourselves in delivering our customer’s spacecraft precisely to orbit and serving as the catalyst for our customers to enable global connectivity,” Wentz stated. “We partner in the shared goals of connecting the world, and this successful launch aligns with this core mission.”
The ViaSat-3 F2 satellite is a technological marvel, designed to provide an immense capacity boost to Viasat’s infrastructure. With the capability to add approximately 1 Terabit per second (Tbps) of bandwidth, the spacecraft will primarily focus on meeting the surging demand for secure, reliable, and high-bandwidth internet services across the Americas. This enhanced capacity will provide greater flexibility and resilience to Viasat’s global network, helping to bridge digital divides and support applications from in-flight Wi-Fi to remote community connectivity.
This mission underscores ULA’s role in enabling critical space-based infrastructure and highlights the growing collaboration between launch providers and satellite operators to build a more connected future.
