The Last Atlas V Leo Launch

This morning's Atlas V launch was labelled by the local newspaper as, "Atlas V rocket's final satellite mission...". Which is mostly true at one level, but it's not the last Atlas V launch and not their last launch of any satellite whatsoever. 

Say what? 

The version of the Atlas V that launched today was the Atlas V 551, where 551 means it had five strap-on solid rocket boosters, a 5 meter wide payload fairing and a Centaur upper stage with one engine. The payload was 29 Amazon LEO satellites, so while it's the last launch of LEO satellites for Amazon, that doesn't mean they can't launch other satellites into a Low Earth Orbit.

Here's the tricky part. 

Following Thursday’s launch there will be just six Atlas 5 rockets remaining. All of those are reserved to fly Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft. 

Will there really be six Starliner flights? Good question. I don't think I'd put much faith in that, but we'll find out. We just know they won't be flying the 551 version for Starliners. 

Those rockets fly in the N22 configuration and are the only variant of an Atlas 5 rocket that feature a dual-engine Centaur upper stage. After the 2024 Crew Flight Test of Starliner in 2024 experienced several issues resulting in NASA declaring a Type A mishap, the cargo-only Starliner-1 launch date is in question. 

The Atlas V has put 224 Amazon LEO satellites in orbit, and they have bought three launches each from Arianespace on their Ariane 6, and SpaceX, on their Falcon 9. They've also contracted for 38 launches using ULA’s Vulcan rocket and 27 launches with Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket. Their problem is that both of those launch vehicles are grounded due to anomaly investigations, and Blue Origin is also slowed down by reconstruction of their SLC-36 structure after the late May explosion of the New Glenn on the pad.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 551 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the Leo Atlas 8 mission on July 2, 2026. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now

While it's impossible to give a date for a New Glenn launch, the Vulcan launch is targeted for "sometime in the third quarter of 2026." Technically speaking, that's now, but I expect closer to the end of the quarter. Except, it's being reported that ULA stacked its Vulcan rocket inside its new VIF-A hangar and plans to conduct a wet dress rehearsal tanking test following this morning's launch.