Liftoff! TDRS-L On its Way to Orbit

Ignition and liftoff! The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying NASA’s TDRS-L spacecraft is off the ground and climbing quickly away from Space Launch Complex 41, aiming to place the satellite in a geosynchronous transfer orbit high above Earth’s surface.

The vehicle will pass maximum dynamic pressure — often called “Max Q” — about a minute and a half into the flight, and the booster’s RD-180 engine will throttle back to 95 percent thrust. Guidance is provided by the avionics system on the Centaur upper stage and will be enabled about two minutes after liftoff.

Booster engine cutoff is expected at four minutes, with Atlas/Centaur separation six seconds later.