Atlas-AbleThe Atlas-D Able rocket carrying Pioneer P-3, sitting on Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 14. |
Manufacturer | Convair Division of General Dynamics |
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Country of origin | United States |
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Size |
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Height | 28 m (91 ft) |
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Diameter | 3.05 m (10 ft) |
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Payload to Trans-lunar injection | 170 kg (370 lb) |
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Launch history |
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Status | Retired |
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Launch sites | LC-12, 13 & 14, Cape Canaveral |
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Total launches | 3 |
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Failure(s) | 3 |
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First flight | 26 November 1959 |
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Last flight | 15 December 1960 |
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[edit on Wikidata] |
The Atlas-Able was an American expendable launch system derived from the SM-65 Atlas missile. It was a member of the Atlas family of rockets, and was used to launch several Pioneer spacecraft towards the Moon. Of the five Atlas-Able rockets built, two failed during static firings, and the other three failed to reach orbit.[1]
The Atlas-Able was a three-and-a-half-stage rocket, with a stage-and-a-half Atlas missile as the first stage, an Able second stage, and an Altair third stage.[2]
The first Atlas-Able used an Atlas C as the first stage,[3] and was intended to carry Pioneer P-1, but exploded during a static fire test on 24 September 1959.[4]
The remaining Pioneer launches used Atlas D missiles. Launches were conducted from Launch Complexes 12 and 14 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. One launch was planned from Launch Complex 13; this became the second Atlas-Able to be destroyed during a static firing, and hence never launched.[1]
Launches
Launches of Atlas-Able[2][3][5] Date | Serial No. | Mission | Launch Site | Outcome | Photo |
- | Atlas 9C | Pioneer P-1 | LC-14 | Failure. Explosion during a static fire test. | |
26 November 1959 | Atlas 20D | Pioneer P-3 | LC-14 | Failure. The Payload fairing broke up at 45 seconds after liftoff, causing loss of the upper stage and payload.[6] | |
25 September 1960 | Atlas 80D | Pioneer P-30 | LC-12 | Failure. A propellant feed on the second stage had a malfunction.[7] | | |
15 December 1960 | Atlas 91D | Pioneer P-31 | LC-12 | Failure. Vibration and/or debris from the Able adapter section ruptured the liquid oxygen tank of Atlas, causing an explosion.[8] | |
References
- ^ a b Wade (2008-08-14). "Atlas". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2008-08-14. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
- ^ a b "Atlas-D Able". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
- ^ a b "Atlas-C Able". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
- ^ LePage, Andrew (December 13, 2010). "The Pioneer lunar orbiters: a forgotten failure". The Space Review. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
- ^ "Atlas-Able". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
- ^ "Atlas-D Able | Pioneer P-3". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
- ^ "Atlas-D Able | Pioneer P-30". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
- ^ "Atlas-D Able | Pioneer P-31". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
Atlas rockets
Main articles | | |
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Rockets | Prototypes | |
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Missiles | |
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Launch systems | Alphabetical | |
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Upper stages | |
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Numerical | |
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Other | |
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Launch sites | |
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Components | Boosters | |
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First stages | |
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Upper stages | - Able
- Agena
- Altair
- Burner
- Centaur
- IABS
- MSD
- OIS
- PTS
- SGS
- Star
- SVS
- Trident
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Engines | |
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Corporations | |
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Launches | - 1957–1959
- 1960–1969
- 1970–1979
- 1980–1989
- 1990–1999
- 2000–2009
- 2010–2019
- 2020–2029
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Current | |
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In development | |
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Retired | |
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Classes | |
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- This Template lists historical, current, and future space rockets that at least once attempted (but not necessarily succeeded in) an orbital launch or that are planned to attempt such a launch in the future
- Symbol † indicates past or current rockets that attempted orbital launches but never succeeded (never did or has yet to perform a successful orbital launch)
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Active | |
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In development | |
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Retired | |
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- * - Japanese projects using US rockets or stages
- ** - uses Russian engines
- † - never succeeded
- †† - no new orders accepted
- ††† - used Ukrainian first stage
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