Overview
- Launch Director James Whelan halted Wednesday’s countdown when an Atlas V first‑stage liquid‑oxygen vent valve failed during final checkouts, and ULA has not detailed the fix ahead of the new attempt.
- Forecasters from the 45th Weather Squadron now give roughly even odds of acceptable conditions due to thick clouds and rain over Cape Canaveral.
- The AV-100 Atlas V in the 551 configuration will use five solid boosters and a three‑burn Centaur to deploy Boeing’s 6‑metric‑ton ViaSat‑3 F2 into geostationary transfer orbit in a 3.5‑hour mission profile.
- ViaSat‑3 F2 is designed to add more than 1 terabit per second of Ka‑band capacity over the Americas, following the first ViaSat‑3’s antenna issue, with service expected after on‑orbit testing in early 2026.
- A successful liftoff would tie the Space Coast annual launch record at 93, while a further delay could push attempts into a new FAA curfew limiting commercial launches to overnight hours starting Nov. 10.