Spaceflight Insider
Theresa Cross
May 18th, 2021
The Atlas 5 “421” with SBIRS GEO 5 takes to the skies at Space Launch Complex 41. Credit: Theresa Cross/Spaceflight Insider
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to send the SBIRS GEO 5 satellite into space for U.S. Space Force and Missile Systems Center.
Liftoff took place at 1:31 p.m. EDT (17:31 UTC) May 18, 2021, at Space Launch Complex 41. It was the first Atlas 5 launch of the year and it flew in a “421” configuration, meaning it had a 4-meter payload fairing, two strap-on AJ-60A solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage.