Atlas D

In-active

Convair ()

April 14, 1959

Description

The SM-65D Atlas, or Atlas D, was the first operational version of the U.S. Atlas missile. Atlas D was first used as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to deliver a nuclear weapon payload on a suborbital trajectory. It was later developed as a launch vehicle to carry a payload to low Earth orbit on its own, and later to geosynchronous orbit, to the Moon, Venus, or Mars with the Agena or Centaur upper stage.

Specifications
  • Stages
    1
  • Length
    25.15 m
  • Diameter
    3.0 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    3.0 m
  • Launch Mass
    119.0 T
  • Thrust
    1880.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Atlas D
  • Family
  • Variant
    D
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    SM-65D Atlas
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    1400.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Convair

Commercial
None
1943

Convair, previously Consolidated Vultee, was an American aircraft manufacturing company that later expanded into rockets and spacecraft. The company was formed in 1943 by the merger of Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft. In 1953 it was purchased by General Dynamics, and operated as their Convair Division for most of its corporate history.

Atlas D | OV1-11,12,86

Convair | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
July 27, 1967, 7 p.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

The OV1 (Orbiting Vehicle 1) were small research satellite to be launched piggy back on Atlas ICBM test flights. They consisted in general of the OV1 satellite and the OV1-PM propulsion module (or upper stage) to reach orbit.

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

Atlas D | OV1-9 & 10

Convair | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Dec. 11, 1966, 9:09 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

The OV1 (Orbiting Vehicle 1) were small research satellite to be launched piggy back on Atlas ICBM test flights. They consisted in general of the OV1 satellite and the OV1-PM propulsion module (or upper stage) to reach orbit.

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

Atlas D | OV1-7

Convair | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
July 14, 1966, 2:10 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

The OV1 (Orbiting Vehicle 1) were small research satellite to be launched piggy back on Atlas ICBM test flights. They consisted in general of the OV1 satellite and the OV1-PM propulsion module (or upper stage) to reach orbit.

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

Atlas D | OV1-4 & 5

Convair | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
March 30, 1966, 9:20 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

The OV1 (Orbiting Vehicle 1) were small research satellite to be launched piggy back on Atlas ICBM test flights. They consisted in general of the OV1 satellite and the OV1-PM propulsion module (or upper stage) to reach orbit.

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

Atlas D | OV1-2

Convair | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Oct. 5, 1965, 9:07 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

The OV1 (Orbiting Vehicle 1) were small research satellite to be launched piggy back on Atlas ICBM test flights. They consisted in general of the OV1 satellite and the OV1-PM propulsion module (or upper stage) to reach orbit.

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

Atlas D | OV1-3

Convair | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
May 28, 1965, 2:54 a.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

The OV1 (Orbiting Vehicle 1) were small research satellite to be launched piggy back on Atlas ICBM test flights. They consisted in general of the OV1 satellite and the OV1-PM propulsion module (or upper stage) to reach orbit.

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

Atlas D | FIRE 2

Convair | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
May 22, 1965, 9:55 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

FIRE (Flight Investigation of Re-Entry) was a high-speed reentry heat research program to obtain data on materials, heating rates, and radio signal attenuation on spacecraft reentering the atmosphere at speeds of about 24,500 miles per hour.

Suborbital
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Atlas D | OV1-1

Convair | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Jan. 21, 1965, 9:34 p.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

The OV1 (Orbiting Vehicle 1) were small research satellite to be launched piggy back on Atlas ICBM test flights. They consisted in general of the OV1 satellite and the OV1-PM propulsion module (or upper stage) to reach orbit.

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

Atlas D | FIRE 1

Convair | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
April 14, 1964, 9:42 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

FIRE (Flight Investigation of Re-Entry) was a high-speed reentry heat research program to obtain data on materials, heating rates, and radio signal attenuation on spacecraft reentering the atmosphere at speeds of about 24,500 miles per hour.

Suborbital
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Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 8 hours ago
NROL-95
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Classified payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office.


Long March 6A
Success
6 days, 15 hours ago
TJSW-27A & B
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

2 Chinese classified satellites claimed to be for communication technology test purposes. Actual mission not known.


Long March 7A
Success
1 week ago
Tianlian 3-01
201 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

Tianlian is a Chinese data tracking and relay communications geostationary satellite series. The TL-3 (Tian Lian 3) satellites are the 3rd generation…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
Starlink Group 17-51
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Starship
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
Flight 13
Orbital Launch Pad 2 - SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA

13th test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle. Second flight of Starship V3. For the first time, Starship will carry 20 V3 Starlink sa…