Name: INMARSAT III F-3 — Atlas IIA
Start: 1996-12-18T01:57:01Z
End: 1996-12-18T01:57:01Z
Location: Launch Complex 36A

Question 1

What rocket is launching INMARSAT III F-3?

Accepted Answer

INMARSAT III F-3 is launching on the Atlas IIA.

Question 2

Who is launching INMARSAT III F-3?

Accepted Answer

INMARSAT III F-3 is being launched by Lockheed Martin, a commercial launch provider founded in 1953.

Question 3

Where is INMARSAT III F-3 launching from?

Accepted Answer

INMARSAT III F-3 is launching from Launch Complex 36A at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is INMARSAT III F-3 heading to?

Accepted Answer

INMARSAT III F-3 is heading to Geostationary Orbit (Direct-GEO).

Question 5

Is the Atlas IIA reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Atlas IIA is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Atlas IIA flown?

Accepted Answer

The Atlas IIA has launched 23 times to date, with 23 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the INMARSAT III F-3 mission?

Accepted Answer

Launched in 1996-8, the Inmarsat-3s were built by Lockheed Martin Astro Space (now Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space) of the USA, responsible for the basic spacecraft, and the European Matra Marconi Space (now Astrium), which developed the communications payload.

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

INMARSAT III F-3

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Launch Complex 36A

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions