Atlas V
Launch of an Atlas V 401 carrying the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and LCROSS space probes on June 18, 2009. | |
| Function | Medium-lift launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | United Launch Alliance |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Cost per launch | US$110–153 million (2016)[1] |
| Size | |
| Height | Up to 58.3 m (191 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.81 m (12.5 ft) |
| Mass | 590,000 kg (1,300,000 lb) |
| Stages | 2 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | |
| Orbital inclination | 28.70° |
| Mass | 8,210–18,850 kg (18,100–41,560 lb)[2] |
| Payload to GTO | |
| Mass | 4,750–8,900 kg (10,470–19,620 lb) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Family | Atlas |
| Based on | Atlas III |
| Comparable | |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active, retiring |
| Launch sites |
|
| Total launches | |
| Success(es) | 102
|
| Partial failure(s) | 1
|
| First flight | August 21, 2002 (Hot Bird 6) |
| Last flight | June 23, 2025 (KuiperSat KA-02, most recent) |
| Boosters – AJ-60A[6] | |
| No. boosters | 0 to 5 |
| Height | 17 m (56 ft)[6] |
| Diameter | 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) |
| Gross mass | 46,697 kg (102,949 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 42,630 kg (93,980 lb)[7] |
| Maximum thrust | 1,688.4 kN (379,600 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 279.3 s (2.739 km/s) |
| Burn time | 94 seconds |
| Propellant | AP / HTPB / Al |
| Boosters – GEM 63[8][9] | |
| No. boosters | 0 to 5 |
| Height | 20.1 m (66 ft)[8] |
| Diameter | 1.6 m (63 in) |
| Gross mass | 49,300 kg (108,700 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 44,200 kg (97,400 lb) |
| Maximum thrust | 1,663 kN (374,000 lbf) |
| Burn time | 94 seconds |
| Propellant | AP / HTPB / Al |
| First stage – Atlas CCB | |
| Height | 32.46 m (106.5 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.81 m (12.5 ft) |
| Empty mass | 21,054 kg (46,416 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 284,089 kg (626,309 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 × RD-180 |
| Maximum thrust |
|
| Specific impulse |
|
| Burn time | 253 seconds |
| Propellant | RP-1 / LOX |
| Second stage – Centaur III | |
| Height | 12.68 m (41.6 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.05 m (10.0 ft) |
| Empty mass | 2,316 kg (5,106 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 20,830 kg (45,920 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 × RL10A, 2 × RL10A or 1 × RL10C |
| Maximum thrust | 99.2 kN (22,300 lbf) (RL10A) |
| Specific impulse | 450.5 s (4.418 km/s) (RL10A) |
| Burn time | 842 seconds (RL10A) |
| Propellant | LH2 / LOX |
Atlas V[a] is an expendable launch system and the fifth major version in the Atlas launch vehicle family. It was developed by Lockheed Martin and has been operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA)[b] since 2006. Primarily used to launch payloads for the United States Department of Defense, NASA, and commercial customers, Atlas V is the longest-serving active rocket in the United States.
Each Atlas V vehicle consists of two main stages. The first stage is powered by a single Russian-made RD-180 engine that burns kerosene and liquid oxygen. The Centaur upper stage uses one or two American-made Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10 engines that burn liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Strap-on solid rocket boosters (SRBs) are used in several configurations. Originally equipped with AJ-60A SRBs, the vehicle switched to Graphite-Epoxy Motor (GEM 63) boosters beginning in November 2020, except for flights in the Boeing Starliner program. Standard payload fairings measure either 4.2 m (14 ft) or 5.4 m (18 ft) in diameter, with multiple available lengths.[10]
In August 2021, ULA announced that Atlas V would be retired and all remaining launches had been sold. As of April 2025, 14 launches remain. Production of the rocket ended in 2024.[11] Future ULA missions will use the Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle,[12] which was designed in part to comply with a Congressional mandate to phase out use of the Russian-made RD-180 engine.
- ^ "RocketBuilder". United Launch Alliance. March 10, 2017. Archived from the original on December 3, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- ^ "Atlas V". United Launch Alliance. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
- ^ Frankle, Jared (July 28, 2019). "ULA delays focused on protecting its 100 percent mission success rate". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
- ^ "NRO satellite successfully launched aboard Atlas V" (PDF). National Reconnaissance Office. June 15, 2007. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- ^ "ULA Readies Atlas V for Launch of NROL-79 Reconnaissance Satellite". spaceflightinsider.com. February 27, 2017. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- ^ a b "Atlas V Solid Rocket Motor". Aerojet Rocketdyne. Archived from the original on March 14, 2017. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ "Space Launch Report: Atlas 5 Data Sheet". Space Launch Report. October 15, 2017. Archived from the original on December 23, 2017. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
- ^ a b "GEM 63/GEM 63XL Fact Sheet" (PDF). northropgrumman.com. April 5, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 18, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ "Developing Vulcan Centaur" (PDF). April 8, 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 25, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
- ^ "Atlas V Launch Services User's Guide" (PDF). Centennial, Colorado: United Launch Alliance. March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 14, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
- ^ Bruno, Tory [@@torybruno] (June 12, 2024). "Bitter sweet. The final Atlas V is making its way through the factory. There are 16 AV missions to go. They will all be built this year, making more room for #Vulcan rate production" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Roulette, Joey (August 26, 2021). "ULA stops selling its centerpiece Atlas V, setting path for the rocket's retirement". The Verge. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
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