Atlas (rocket family)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (March 2008)

Atlas is a family of U.S. space launch vehicles. The original Atlas missile was designed in the late 1950s. It was a liquid-fuel rocket burning LOX and RP-1 in three engines configured in an unusual "stage-and-a-half" or "Parallel Staging" design: two of its three engines were jettisoned during ascent, but its fuel tanks and other structural elements were retained. Various Atlas II models were launched 63 times between 1991 and 2004. There were only 6 launches of the Atlas III, all between 2000 and 2005. The Atlas V is still in service, with launches planned through 2011.

Contents 1 Atlas family evolution 1.1 Atlas missile 1.1.1 Atlas A 1.1.2 Atlas B 1.1.3 Atlas C 1.1.4 Atlas D 1.1.5 Atlas E 1.1.6 Atlas F 1.2 Launch vehicles 1.3 Atlas-Vega 1.4 Atlas-Able 1.5 SLV-3 Atlas 1.5.1 Atlas-Agena 1.5.1.1 Atlas LV-3A/Agena A 1.5.1.2 Atlas LV-3A/Agena B 1.5.1.3 Atlas LV-3A/Agena D 1.5.1.4 SLV-3 Atlas/Agena B 1.5.1.5 Atlas/Agena D SLV-3A 1.5.2 Atlas-Centaur 1.5.2.1 Atlas Centaur/LV-3C 1.5.2.2 Atlas Centaur/SLV-3C 1.5.2.3 Atlas Centaur SLV-3D 1.6 Atlas H 1.7 Atlas G 1.8 Atlas I 1.9 Atlas II 1.9.1 Atlas IIA 1.9.2 Atlas IIAS 1.10 Atlas III 1.10.1 Atlas IIIA 1.10.2 Atlas IIIB 1.11 Atlas V 1.11.1 Atlas V Heavy 2 References 3 External links

[edit] Atlas family evolution

[edit] Atlas missile

See also: SM-65 Atlas

The first successful test launch of an SM-65 Atlas missile was on December 17, 1957.^[1] Approximately 350 Atlas missiles were built. Many were eventually converted to orbital launch vehicles after they were removed from service as missiles. Missiles converted into Atlas E/F "space boosters" were used to launch the early "Block I" GPS satellites.^[2]

Early Atlas rockets were also built specifically for non-military uses. On December 18, 1958, An Atlas was used to launch the Signal Communication by Orbiting Relay Equipment (SCORE) satellite, which was, "The first prototype of a communications satellite, and the first test of any satellite for direct practical applications."^[3][4] Atlas boosters were also used for four manned Project Mercury missions. On February 20, 1962 it launched Friendship 7, which made three earth orbits carrying John Glenn, the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth. Identical Atlas boosters successfully launched three more manned Mercury orbital missions in 1962-63.

Beginning in 1960 the Agena upper-stage, powered by hypergolic fuel, was used extensively on Atlas launch vehicles. The United States Air Force, NRO and CIA used them to launch SIGINT satellites.^[5] NASA used them in the Ranger program to obtain the first close-up images of the surface of the Moon and for Mariner 2, the first spacecraft to flyby another planet. Each of the Agena target vehicles used for space rendezvous missions was launched on an Atlas rocket.

Beginning in 1963 the LH2-fueled Centaur upper stage was also used on dozens of Atlas launches. NASA launched the Surveyor program lunar lander spacecraft and most of the Mars-bound Mariner program spacecraft with Atlas-Centaur launch vehicles.

[edit] Atlas A

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas B

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas C

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas D

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas E

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas F

Used to launch the Block I series of GPS satellites from 1978 to 1985.

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Launch vehicles

[edit] Atlas-Vega

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas-Able

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] SLV-3 Atlas

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas-Agena

[edit] Atlas LV-3A/Agena A

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas LV-3A/Agena B

Used to launch a number of Missile Defense Alarm System satellites from 1961 to 1963.

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas LV-3A/Agena D

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] SLV-3 Atlas/Agena B

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas/Agena D SLV-3A

The Agena D SLV-3A was used to launch a number of KH-7 reconnaissance satellites from 1963 to 1967 as well as a number of Missile Defense Alarm System satellites.

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas-Centaur

[edit] Atlas Centaur/LV-3C

Main article: Centaur (rocket stage)

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas Centaur/SLV-3C

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas Centaur SLV-3D

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas H

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas G

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas I

Main article: Atlas I

The first flight of an Atlas I launched the CRRES satellite on July 25, 1990.^[6]

[edit] Atlas II

Main article: Atlas II

In May 1988, the Air Force chose General Dynamics (now Lockheed-Martin) to develop the Atlas II. The first Atlas II launch placed a Eutelsat satellite into geostationary orbit on 1991-12-07.

[edit] Atlas IIA

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas IIAS

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas III

[edit] Atlas IIIA

Main article: Atlas III

The Atlas III was used between 2000 and 2005. Atlas III was the first member of the Atlas family to use "normal" staging. Its first stage used a single RD-180 engine.

[edit] Atlas IIIB

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Atlas V

Main articles: Atlas V and List of Atlas V launches

The Atlas V is built in Decatur, Alabama by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. The first Atlas V launch was on August 21, 2002. In late 2009 an Atlas V is scheduled to launch the Mars Science Laboratory rover mission.

[edit] Atlas V Heavy

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Atlas at Encyclopedia Astronautica

v • d • e Rocket families Carrier rockets Ariane • Atlas • Delta • H-II • Long March • R-7 • Mu • Saturn • Scout • Shuttle • Titan • Thor • Tsyklon Sounding rockets Black Brant • Skylark Missiles Agni • Universal Rocket Some families contain more than one type of rocket. These are listed by the function that they are most well known for.