LAUNCH MISSION
USAF Atlas II DSCS-3 B14
Launch Pad
Launch Complex 36A
Description
American communications satellite used for high priority communications between defense officials and battlefield commanders.
Atlas II
Rocket Description
Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II the most reliable launch system in history.