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The Atlas SLV-3, or SLV-3 Atlas was an American
expendable launch system An expendable launch system (or expendable launch vehicle/ELV) is a launch vehicle that can be launched only once, after which its components are destroyed during reentry or impact with Earth, or discarded in space. ELVs typically consist of s ...
derived from the SM-65 Atlas / SM-65D Atlas missile. It was a member of the
Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of world map, maps of Earth or of a continent or region of Earth. Advances in astronomy have also resulted in atlases of the celestial sphere or of other planets. Atlases have traditio ...
family of rockets. The Atlas SLV-3 was a stage and a half rocket, built as a standardized replacement for earlier Atlas launch systems, which had been derived from the various Atlas missiles. Most space launcher variants of the Atlas up to 1965 were derived from the D-series Atlas ICBM with custom modifications for the needs of the particular mission. The SLV-3 would use a standardized configuration based on the Atlas D missile for all launches with the exception of different widths for the top of the rocket depending on the upper stage being flown. The SLV-3 had thicker gauge tank walls to support the weight of upper stages as well as upgraded engines and removal of unneeded ICBM hardware such as retrorockets. Although the main engines had greater thrust, the verniers were detuned slightly in the interest of improved ISP (vacuum
specific impulse Specific impulse (usually abbreviated ) is a measure of how efficiently a reaction mass engine, such as a rocket engine, rocket using propellant or a jet engine using fuel, generates thrust. In general, this is a ratio of the ''Impulse (physics), ...
). Variants of the SLV-3 flew until 2005 when the legacy Atlas was retired from service and replaced by the
Atlas V Atlas V is an expendable launch system and the fifth major version in the Atlas (rocket family), Atlas launch vehicle family. It was developed by Lockheed Martin and has been operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA) since 2006. Primarily used to ...
, a completely new vehicle with conventional aircraft-style construction and different engines.


Versions

The following versions of the launch system were produced:


Baseline

The standard Atlas-Agena vehicle is best known for launching the Augmented Target Docking Adapter (ATDA) in support of the Gemini 9A mission. This occurred on 1 June 1966, and was the first flight of the Atlas SLV-3 as an independent vehicle. The ATDA failed because the payload shroud did not detach. The rocket was also used for three suborbital tests of X-23 PRIME reentry vehicles. A leftover SLV-3 from the PRIME program was used to launch a collection of small scientific satellites from VAFB's SLC-3E on August 16, 1968. Most Atlas-Agena SLV-3s were used for classified DoD payloads, especially
KH-7 GAMBIT BYEMAN codenamed GAMBIT, the KH-7 (Air Force Program 206) was a reconnaissance satellite used by the United States from July 1963 to June 1967. Like the older Corona (satellite), CORONA system, it acquired imagery intelligence by taking photog ...
. A Burner II upper stage could be used to increase payload.


Details

* Thrust (pounds): 389,000 * Booster ISP: 252.5 * Sustainer ISP: 214.2 * Vernier ISP: 190.9/237.7 * Main impulse propellants (pounds): 246,549 * Launch weight (pounds): 260,928 * Booster jettison weight (pounds): 7,368 * Sustainer jettison weight (pounds): 6,569


Gallery

File:ATDA atop Atlas launch vehicle launched from Kennedy Space Center.jpg, ATDA launch, Atlas SLV-3, June 1, 1966 File:Atlas SLV-3.jpg,
PRIME A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways ...
launch, Atlas SLV-3 rocket with a Burner II upper stage, August 16, 1968.


SLV-3A

SLV-3A was the baseline SLV-3 with extended propellant tanks for longer burn time. It was used to launch OGO-3 in 1968, all remaining launches being classified Aquacade (Canyon/Rhyolite) SIGINT satellites. All launches took place from LC-13 at Cape Canaveral.


Details

*Thrust (pounds): 395,000 * Booster ISP: 258.9/296.8 * Sustainer ISP: 215.3/308.9 * Vernier ISP: 190.9/237.7 * Main impulse propellants (pounds): 295,356 * Launch weight (pounds): 310,073 * Booster jettison weight (pounds): 7,464 * Sustainer jettison weight (pounds): 6,805


SLV-3B

SLV-3B was a one-off Atlas used to launch the first OAO satellite, which consisted of the SLV-3C Atlas with the Agena and payload enclosed in a full-width fairing. The configuration was launched once, on August 4, 1966, from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 12 to deliver the OAO satellite to orbit.


SLV-3C

SLV-3C was the standard Atlas-Centaur booster, without the tapered forward section to accommodate the smaller Agena stage. The Atlas Centaur effort started in 1958 at the Advanced Research Projects Agency. On establishment of NASA, the effort transferred to NASA and ultimately under the auspices of the NASA Lewis Research Center. General Dynamics Convair division was contracted to make modifications to the Atlas booster and design the cryogenic Centaur upper stage with the engines for the upper stage being furnished as Government Furnished Equipment via a separate contract between the U.S. Government and Pratt & Whitney. Atlas Centaur (SLV-3C) was designed to deliver the Surveyor moon lander missions to soft landings on the lunar surface as part of the buildup for the Apollo program.


Gallery

File:Mariner 7 launch (KSC-69P-223).jpg, Mariner 7 launch, Atlas SLV-3C. File:Surveyor-6 launch.jpg, Surveyor 6 launch, Atlas-Centaur (AC-14) File:Atlas I-CENTAUR.jpg,
Mariner 9 Mariner 9 (Mariner Mars '71 / Mariner-I) was a robotic spacecraft that contributed greatly to the exploration of Mars and was part of the NASA Mariner program. Mariner 9 was launched toward Mars on May 30, 1971, from Spaceport Florida Launch Comp ...
launch, Atlas-Centaur


Atlas SLV-3D

SLV-3D had the same Atlas core as SLV-3C, with an enhanced Centaur stage. The SLV-3D model used an upgraded Centaur D1A to launch the
Pioneer 11 ''Pioneer 11'' (also known as ''Pioneer G'') is a NASA robotic space probe launched on April 5, 1973, to study the asteroid belt, the environment around Jupiter and Saturn, the solar wind, and cosmic rays. It was the first probe to Exploration ...
spacecraft to Jupiter and Saturn. It was also used to launch four U.S. Navy FLTSATCOM communications satellites to geosynchronous transfer orbit.


Gallery

File:Atlas-Centaur with Mariner 10 at LC 36B.jpg,
Mariner 10 ''Mariner 10'' was an American Robotic spacecraft, robotic space probe launched by NASA on 3 November 1973, to fly by the planets Mercury (planet), Mercury and Venus. It was the first spacecraft to perform flybys of multiple planets. ''Marin ...
launch, Atlas SLV-3D Centaur-D1A File:Pioneer G (Pioneer 11) launch.jpg,
Pioneer 11 ''Pioneer 11'' (also known as ''Pioneer G'') is a NASA robotic space probe launched on April 5, 1973, to study the asteroid belt, the environment around Jupiter and Saturn, the solar wind, and cosmic rays. It was the first probe to Exploration ...
launch, Atlas-Centaur 30


References


External links


NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive
Gemini 9 Target B {{Use American English, date=January 2014 Rockets and missiles Atlas (rocket family)