ULA Sets Launch Date For ViaSat 3 Aboard Atlas V

The ever-dwindling supply of Atlas V rockets will shrink by one more in a couple of weeks if all goes to plan for United Launch Alliance. The company announced today that they plan to launch the ViaSat 3 mission in early November aboard the venerable rocket.

(Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., Oct. 28, 2025) – Due to the continuation of severe weather impacting launch processing, the launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket carrying the ViaSat-3 Flight 2 (F2) mission for Viasat is now planned for no earlier than Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, pending range approval.

The launch is scheduled for 10:24 p.m. EST at the opening of a 44-minute window, from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.

Viasat-3 is a three-satellite, geostationary Ka-band constellation planned to deliver global coverage. Operated by Viasat, Inc., the first satellite was launched in 2023. The system is designed to provide 100+ Mbps broadband service to homes, businesses and enterprises, as well as connectivity for commercial aircraft and government users.

This will be a replacement satellite for ViaSat-3 F1, which launched on 1 May 1st 2023 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy. While the payload was delivered successfully by SpaceX, the deployment of the satellite’s antennae was subnominal, and its performance was so poor that it triggered a $420+ insurance claim for payload loss.

Launch schedules being what they are, the potential for this new launch date to move is ever-present, so it will be worth keeping an eye on.

At A Glance

Details
Mission Atlas V 551 | ViaSat-3 — Go for Launch!
Organization United Launch Alliance (ULA)
Location Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Rocket Atlas V 551
Pad Space Launch Complex 41
Status Go for Launch
Status Info Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources.
Window Opens Wednesday, 11/05/2025 10:24 PM
Window Closes Wednesday, 11/05/2025 11:08 PM
Destination Geostationary Transfer Orbit
Mission Description The ViaSat-3 series of Ka-band satellites is designed to deliver more than 1 terabit per second of network capacity per satellite, with flexible, dynamically steerable bandwidth to serve customers where demand is highest.
Broadcast Start Time Coverage typically begins ~15 minutes before liftoff.
ULA Streaming Coverage Watch Live on ULA’s Mission Page  |  ULA YouTube Channel
Spaceflight Now YouTube Coverage Watch on YouTube – Spaceflight Now Live Stream

As of 3:57 PM Tuesday October 28, 2025. Launch times are subject to change or cancellation at any time. Consult ULA’s mission page for the most current information.


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