Atlas-Centaur
An Atlas-Centaur launching Surveyor 1 (1966)
FunctionExpendable launch system
ManufacturerConvair Division of
General Dynamics
Country of originUnited States
Launch history
StatusRetired
Launch sitesCape Canaveral, LC-36
Total launches60
Success(es)48
Failure(s)8
Partial failure(s)4
First flight8 May 1962
Last flight19 May 1983
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About the Atlas LV3C

The Atlas-Centaur was a United States expendable launch vehicle derived from the SM-65 Atlas D missile. Launches were conducted from Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida.[1][2]

Launch statistics

Launch Outcomes

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
'62
'63
'64
'65
'66
'67
'68
'69
'70
'71
'72
'73
'74
'75
'76
'77
'78
'79
'80
'81
'82
'83
  •   Success
  •   Failure
  •   Partial failure

Launch Pads

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
'62
'63
'64
'65
'66
'67
'68
'69
'70
'71
'72
'73
'74
'75
'76
'77
'78
'79
'80
'81
'82
'83

Target orbit

1
2
3
4
5
'62
'63
'64
'65
'66
'67
'68
'69
'70
'71
'72
'73
'74
'75
'76
'77
'78
'79
'80
'81
'82
'83

Launches

The data in this table comes from,[2][3][4] and [5]
Number Date/Time
(UTC) 		Rocket S/N Launch Site Payload Function Orbit Outcome Reamarks
1 1962-05-08
19:49 		Atlas-Centaur-A LV-3C AC-1 CCAFS LC-36A Test flight vehicle Suborbital Failure First launch of the Atlas-Centaur vehicle. Centaur insulation panel separated prematurely, resulting in LH2 tank rupture at T+54 seconds and subsequent complete launch vehicle destruction.
2 1963-11-27
19:03 		Atlas-Centaur-B LV-3C AC-2 CCAFS LC-36A Test flight vehicle LEO Success Performed first liquid hydrogen rocket engine firing in space.
3 1964-06-30
14:04 		Atlas-Centaur-C LV-3C AC-3 CCAFS LC-36A Test flight vehicle LEO (target) Failure Centaur hydraulics pump failed, causing engine shutdown 253 seconds after Centaur ignition.
4 1964-12-11
14:25 		Atlas-Centaur-C LV-3C AC-4 CCAFS LC-36A Surveyor mass model Test flight vehicle MEO (target)
LEO (actual) 		Partial failure Centaur ullage rocket design flaw prevented it from restarting.
5 1965-03-02
13:25 		Atlas-Centaur-C LV-3C AC-5 CCAFS LC-36A Surveyor SD-1 Test flight vehicle MEO (target) Failure Booster fuel prevalves accidentally closed at T+2 seconds, causing loss of booster engine thrust. Vehicle fell back onto the pad and exploded.
6 1965-08-11
14:31 		Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3C AC-6 CCAFS LC-36B Surveyor SD-2 Test flight vehicle HEO Success
7 1966-04-08
01:00 		Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3C AC-8 CCAFS LC-36B Surveyor SD-3 Test flight vehicle HEO (target) / LEO (actual) Partial failure Centaur stage ran out of ullage propellant before restarting.
8 1966-05-30
14:41 		Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3C AC-10 CCAFS LC-36A Surveyor 1 Lunar lander HEO Success First American lander to soft-land on the Moon.
9 1966-09-20
12:32 		Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3C AC-7 CCAFS LC-36A Surveyor 2 Lunar lander HEO Success Spacecraft failed en route to the Moon.
10 1966-10-26
11:12 		Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3C AC-9 CCAFS LC-36B Surveyor SD-4 Test flight vehicle HEO Success Performed first ever liquid hydrogen rocket engine restart in space.
11 1967-04-07
07:05 		Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3C AC-12 CCAFS LC-36B Surveyor 3 Lunar lander HEO Success
12 1967-07-14
11:53 		Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3C AC-11 CCAFS LC-36A Surveyor 4 Lunar lander HEO Success Spacecraft crash landed on the Moon.
13 1967-09-08
07:57 		Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3C AC-13 CCAFS LC-36B Surveyor 5 Lunar lander HEO Success
14 1967-11-07
07:39 		Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3C AC-14 CCAFS LC-36B Surveyor 6 Lunar lander HEO Success
15 1968-01-07
06:30 		Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3C AC-15 CCAFS LC-36A Surveyor 7 Lunar lander HEO Success
16 1968-08-10
22:33 		Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3C AC-17 CCAFS LC-36A ATS-4 Communication/Meteorology GEO (target) Partial failure Centaur stage failed to restart due to oxidizer leak.
17 1968-12-07
08:40 		Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3C AC-16 CCAFS LC-36B OAO-2 High energy astronomy research LEO Success
18 1969-02-25
01:29 		Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3C AC-20 CCAFS LC-36B Mariner 6 Mars flyby probe IPT Success
19 1969-03-27
22:22 		Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3C AC-19 CCAFS LC-36A Mariner 7 Mars flyby probe IPT Success
20 1969-08-12
11:01 		Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3C AC-18 CCAFS LC-36A ATS-5 Communication/Meteorology GEO Success
21 1970-11-30
22:40:05 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C AC-21 CCAFS LC-36B OAO-B Astronomy LEO (target) Failure Payload fairing failed to separate
22 1971-01-26
00:36:03 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C AC-25 CCAFS LC-36A Intelsat 4 F2 Comsat GTO Success
23 1971-05-09
01:11:02 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C AC-24 CCAFS LC-36A Mariner 8 Mars probe Heliocentric (target) Failure Damaged circuit board in Centaur resulted in control failure and engine shutdown at T+365 seconds.
24 1971-12-20
01:10:04 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C AC-26 CCAFS LC-36A Intelsat 4 F3 Comsat GTO Success
25 1972-01-23
00:12:04 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C AC-28 CCAFS LC-36B Intelsat 4 F4 Comsat GTO Success
26 1972-03-03
01:49:04 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C AC-27 CCAFS LC-36A Pioneer 10 Jupiter probe Heliocentric Success First probe to visit Jupiter
Solar System escape velocity achieved on Jupiter fly-by
27 1972-06-13
21:53:04 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C AC-29 CCAFS LC-36B Intelsat 4 F5 Comsat GTO Success
28 1972-08-21
10:28:02 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C AC-22 CCAFS LC-36B OAO-3 Astronomy LEO Success Final flight of Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C
29 1973-04-06
02:11:00 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-30 CCAFS LC-36B Pioneer 11 Planetary probe Heliocentric Success Maiden flight of Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D
First probe to visit Saturn
Solar System escape velocity achieved on Jupiter fly-by
30 1973-08-23
22:57:02 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-31 CCAFS LC-36A Intelsat 4 F7 Comsat GTO Success
31 1973-11-03
05:45:00 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-34 CCAFS LC-36B Mariner 10 Planetary probe Heliocentric Success
32 1974-11-21
23:43:59 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-32 CCAFS LC-36B Intelsat 4 F8 Comsat GTO Success
33 1975-02-20
23:35:00 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-33 CCAFS LC-36A Intelsat 4 F6 Comsat GTO (target) Failure Improper separation of a lanyard during booster jettison reset the Atlas programmer and caused erroneous flight path. RSO T+413 seconds.
34 1975-05-22
22:04:00 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-35 CCAFS LC-36A Intelsat 4 F1 Comsat GTO Success
35 1975-09-26
00:17:00 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-36 CCAFS LC-36B Intelsat 4A F1 Comsat GTO Success
36 1976-01-29
23:56 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-37 CCAFS LC-36B Intelsat 4A F2 Comsat GTO Success
37 1976-05-13
22:28 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-38 CCAFS LC-36A Comstar D1 Comsat GTO Success
38 1976-07-22
22:04:00 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-40 CCAFS LC-36B Comstar D2 Comsat GTO Success
39 1977-05-26
21:47:01 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-39 CCAFS LC-36A Intelsat 4A F4 Comsat GTO Success
40 1977-08-12
06:29:31 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-45 CCAFS LC-36B HEAO-1 Astronomy LEO Success
41 1977-09-30
01:02:59 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-43 CCAFS LC-36A Intelsat 4A F5 Comsat GTO Failure Corroded plumbing resulted in a gas generator leak and thrust section fire during ascent. Vehicle self-destructed T+55 seconds.
42 1978-01-07
00:15:00 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-46 CCAFS LC-36B Intelsat 4A F3 Comsat GTO Success
43 1978-02-09
21:17:01 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-44 CCAFS LC-36A FLTSATCOM-1 Comsat GTO Success
44 1978-03-31
23:36:01 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-48 CCAFS LC-36B Intelsat 4A F6 Comsat GTO Success
45 1978-05-20
13:13:00 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-50 CCAFS LC-36A Pioneer Venus Orbiter Venus probe Heliocentric Success
46 1978-06-29
22:24:59 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-41 CCAFS LC-36B Comstar D3 Comsat GTO Success
47 1978-08-08
07:33 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-51 CCAFS LC-36A Pioneer Venus Multiprobe Venus probe Heliocentric Success
48 1978-11-13
05:24 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-52 CCAFS LC-36B HEAO-2 Astronomy LEO Success
49 4 May 1979
18:57:00 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-47 CCAFS, LC-36A FLTSATCOM-2 Comsat GTO Success
50 20 September 1979
05:28 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-53 CCAFS, LC-36B HEAO-3 Astronomy LEO Success
51 1980-01-18
01:26:00 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-49 CCAFS, LC-36A FLTSATCOM-3 Communications satellite GTO Success
52 1980-10-31
03:54:00 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-57 CCAFS, LC-36A FLTSATCOM-4 Communications satellite GTO Success
53 1980-12-06
23:31:00 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-54 CCAFS, LC-36B Intelsat V F-2 COMSAT GTO Success
54 1981-02-21
23:23:00 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-42 CCAFS LC-36A Comstar D4 Communications satellite GTO Success
55 23 May 1981
22:42:00 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-56 CCAFS, LC-36B Intelsat V F-1 COMSAT GTO Success
56 1981-08-06
08:16:00 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-59 CCAFS, LC-36A FLTSATCOM-5 Communications satellite GTO Partial failure Fairing collapsed during ascent, damaging spacecraft
57 1981-12-15
23:35 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-55 CCAFS, LC-36B Intelsat V F-3 COMSAT GTO Success
58 1982-03-05
00:23 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-58 CCAFS LC-36A Intelsat V -504 Comsat GTO Success
59 1982-09-28
23:17 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-60 CCAFS LC-36B Intelsat V -505 Comsat GTO Success
60 1983-05-19
22:26 		Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D AC-61 CCAFS LC-36A Intelsat V -506 Comsat GTO Success Final flight of the Atlas-Centaur rocket.

References

  1. ^ "Atlas Centaur LV-3C". www.astronautix.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  2. ^ a b DeFelice, David (2015-04-14). "Centaur: America's Workhorse in Space". NASA. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  3. ^ "Atlas Centaur". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  4. ^ "AC-8 Press Kit" (PDF). Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  5. ^ "McDowell, Jonathan. "Atlas". Orbital and Suborbital launch database. Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-04-19".
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