Atlas 5 rocket. Photo: ULA

[Via Satellite 05-23-2014] Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services has set the launch date for DigitalGlobe’s WorldView 3 remote sensing satellite for Aug. 13 2014. The spacecraft will launch aboard an Atlas 5 from Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

Lockheed Martin exclusively conducts all non-U.S. government launches of the Atlas 5. The company also offers small satellite launches through the Athena rocket and multi-payload rideshare missions.

Built by Ball Aerospace, WorldView 3 will have an average revisit time of less than one day from an expected altitude of 617 km. From this location, the spacecraft will have the ability to collect a total of 680,000 square kilometers of imagery per day. WorldView 3 can take observations in both visible and infrared parts of the spectrum.