45th Space Wing supports ULA’s 100th Atlas launch

  • Published
  • 45th Space Wing Public Affairs
The 45th Space Wing supported the United Launch Alliance's 100th launch, an Atlas V 421 rocket flying the Morelos-3 communications satellite for Mexico's Secretariat of Communications and Transportation on Oct. 2.

"Our capabilities in space have always been, and will continue to be, leveraged through partnerships with industry," said Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, the 45th Space Wing commander. "I am very proud of our team and their support of ULA's historic record number of launches since 2006. We are the nation's premier gateway to space and we stand ready to support."

Lockheed Martin's Commercial Launch Services provided the Atlas V rocket that carried the Morelos-3 to its destination in space from Launch Complex 41 at 6:28 a.m. The satellite is part of the Mexsat constellation of satellites that deliver advanced telecommunications throughout Mexico, providing secure communications for Mexico's national security needs, in addition to providing communications to rural zones as a complement to other existing networks.

Eastern Range instrumentation provides radar tracking, telemetry, communications, command/control sites, camera and optical sites, and other support capabilities such as meteorology. Instrumentation is necessary to safely and successfully conduct civil, commercial, and national security spacelift operations, and ballistic missile tests and evaluation. Eastern Range assets are based on dependable designs and technology and are arrayed in a highly efficient architecture designed to ensure safety of the launch environment and the public at large.