ULA Launches Atlas V On Its Last National Security Mission For The US Military

United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Atlas V at 1045 UTC on Tuesday (July 30), from Florida's Canaveral Space Force Station, on a classified USSF-51 mission for the U.S. Space Force. Very little is known about the payload(s).

USSF-51 was the 100th national security mission for ULA overall, according to the company. And it's also the last national security space launch (NSSL) for a member of the Atlas rocket family, which has been flying since 1957. 

The Atlas V deputed in 2002 and has flown 100 missions to date. The 100th which occurred last month, launched Boeing's Starliner capsule carrying two NASA astronauts, toward the International Space Station(ISS). It was the first crewed flight for both Atlas V and Starliner. The workhorse rocket flew its first U.S. national security mission in 2007, then racked up more than 50 other such flights over the years.

While it won't fly any more national security missions after Tuesday's launch, the Atlas V still has 15 more flights on its docket, most of which will launch either Starliner or satellites for Amazon's planned Project Kuiper broadband constellation.

The Space Force, meanwhile, plans to use ULA's new Vulcan Centaur rocket for NSSL launches after the vehicle is certified. Vulcan's one successful liftoff to date, launched Astrobotic's Peregrine moon lander in January of this year.

"The Atlas V launch system has been the stalwart for national security launches over the past 20 years," Walt Lauderdale, USSF-51 mission director, said in a statement. "This mission, together with all those preceding, demonstrates the Atlas V integrated government/industry team’s commitment to safely deliver critical assets to space."

ULA's Atlas V and Delta IV Heavy and SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy have all been used to launch national security missions for the Space Force.