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In the early hours of the morning of December 7th, United Launch Alliance (ULA) successfully launched the Atlas V rocket carrying the Space Test Program (STP)-3 mission for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command. Although there was a two day delay due to a fuel issue, the launch from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida was a complete success. ULA has a long history of spacecraft launches with nearly 150 missions and 100% success rate. This mission in particular marked ULA’s longest duration mission at seven hours and 10 minutes until spacecraft separation.
The primary spacecraft on the STP-3 mission is STP Satellite (STPSat)-6, a multipurpose spacecraft carrying nine payloads and experiments for both Space Force and NASA to aid in advancing warfighting capabilities in the areas of nuclear detonation detection, space domain awareness (SDA), weather, and communication.
Taylor Devices supplies the Ground Wind Damper System that mitigates the effects of wind on the Atlas V rocket pre-launch. We also supply several Launch Head Shock Absorbers that control the dynamic motion of large ground support components during launch. Through this work, Taylor Devices supports this co-manifested mission that matures technology and reduces future space program risk.
Taylor Devices is proud to have been a part of the Atlas V team for years and we are looking forward to continuous success on future missions.