The United Launch Alliance is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and The Boeing Company, which offers launching services to the US government. It generally services the National Reconnaissance Office, NASA and the Department of Defense. In fact, the ULA just recently launched the Atlas V rocket into space for the US Navy.
According to Ars Technica, the Atlas V rocket is the world's most reliable one. Including its recent mission, it has been launched into space a total of 63 times - each of them successful. In its most recent flight, it launched the MUOS-5 some 31,000 kilometers above the Earth. This was done for the US Navy and was the final in a five-satellite constellation. All in all, the series of satellites are meant to provide soldiers with a more stable and generally better communication.
"We are honored to deliver the final satellite in the MUOS constellation... that provides our warfighters with enhanced communications capabilities," said Laura Maginnis, who is the Vice President for Custom Services in the ULA. She also went on to say that the project will aid soldiers to conduct their missions all around the globe, despite how remote the area is.
There is, undoubtedly, a cost that comes with launching a rocket like the Atlas V. Its liquid oxygen/liquid kerosene main engine, called the RD-180, is purchased all the way from Russia. Following the rising tensions with Russia, the ULA has until 2022 to switch suppliers and end its dependency on the Russian engine.
ULA shares that the launch of MUOS-5 is its fifth this year, and one-hundred and eighth since its founding in 2006. The ULA has another scheduled launch for the Atlas V on July 28. This time, it will be for the National Reconnaissance Office. The launch will be from the Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
