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
Explore Share

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
Explore Share

Falcon 9
Success
10 hours, 33 minutes ago
NROL-179
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Fourteenth batch of satellites for a reconnaissance satellite constellation built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the National Reconnaissance Offi…


Ariane 64
Success
2 days, 7 hours ago
Amazon Leo (LE-03)
Ariane Launch Area 4 - Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, is a mega constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit that will offer broadband internet access, thi…


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 12 hours ago
BlueBird Block 2 #3-5
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

AST SpaceMobile’s Block 2 BlueBird satellites are designed to deliver up to 10 times the bandwidth capacity of the BlueBird Block 1 satellites, requi…


Kuaizhou 11
Success
2 days, 15 hours ago
CentiSpace-1 Group 05
Launch Area 95A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Note: Unofficial reports indicate there may be 1 or more additional satellites that failed to separate from the upper stage, however this is not offi…


Long March 12
Success
2 days, 16 hours ago
SatNet LEO Group 22
Commercial LC-2 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group.…