"Atlas V Rocket Successfully Launches National Security Mission After Year-Long Hiatus"

United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket successfully returned to service after a 10-month gap in launches, deploying multiple satellites into geosynchronous orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office and the US Space Force. This mission marked the beginning of the wind-down of the Atlas V program, with 18 more flights scheduled, primarily for Amazon's Kuiper broadband network and Boeing's Starliner crew capsule. Despite delays caused by customer issues, ULA plans to continue launching Atlas V rockets until the new Vulcan rocket is fully operational. The recent launch demonstrated the rocket's ability to deliver payloads to geosynchronous orbits, a task currently accomplished by only a few US launch vehicles.