While most launches of the Atlas V are dedicated to launching US military and government payloads via the Boeing/Lockheed Martin joint firm United Launch Alliance (ULA), every now and then, Lockheed Martin operates a “commercial” Atlas V in the schedule. This was the case for the Atlas V 421 launch of Morelos-3 communications satellite, which was launched. following a parking orbit, into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). The flight took place after a short delay due to a boat straying into the launch zone, at 1028 GMT from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
The communications spacecraft, also known as Mexsat-2, will be eventually located in geostationary Earth orbit, will provide communications launch services to the Mexican military and government users.
While launched for the Mexican Government’s Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes (Ministry of Communications and Transportation) the flight was actually a commercially operated launch contracted to Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services (LMCLS) albeit still technically operated by ULA.
