Atlas III

Infobox rocket

---

caption = The maiden flight of the Atlas III
name = Atlas III
function = Medium expendable Launch vehicle
manufacturer = Lockheed Martin
country-origin = United States
height = 52.8 m
alt-height = 173.2 ft
diameter = 3.05 m
alt-diameter = 10 ft
mass = 214,338 kg
alt-mass = 472,338 lb
stages = 2
LEO-payload = Atlas IIIA: 8,640 kg (19,040 lb)
Atlas IIIB: 10,218 kg (23,630 lb)
alt-LEO =
payload-location = GTO
payload = Atlas IIIA: 4,055 kg (8,939 lb)
Atlas IIIB: 4,500 kg (9,900 lb)
alt-payload =
status = Retired
sites = LC-36B, CCAFS
launches = 6
2 Atlas IIIA
4 Atlas IIIB
success = 6
fail =
partial =
first=Atlas IIIA: 24 May 2000
Atlas IIIB: 21 February 2002
last=Atlas IIIA: 13 March 2004
Atlas IIIB: 3 February 2005
stage1name =
stage1engines = 1 RD-180
stage1thrust = 4,148.7 kN
alt-stage1thrust = 932,670 lb_f
stage1time = 132 seconds
stage1SI = 311 sec
stage1fuel = RP-1/LOX
stage2name = Centaur (SEC)
stage2engines = 1 RL-10A
stage2thrust = 99.2 kN
alt-stage2thrust = 22,290 lb_f
stage2time = 738 seconds
stage2SI = 451 sec
stage2fuel = LH2/LOX
stage2diff = Atlas IIIA
stage2aname = Centaur (DEC)
stage2aengines = 2 RL-10A
stage2athrust = 147 kN
alt-stage2athrust = 41,592 lb_f
stage2atime = 392 seconds
stage2aSI = 449 sec
stage2afuel = LH2/LOX
stage2adiff = Atlas IIIBThe Lockheed Martin Atlas III was an American orbital launch vehicle, used between 2000 and 2005. [] It was the first member of the Atlas family to feature a "normal" staging method, compared to the previous Atlas family members, which were equipped with jettisonable engines on the first (sustainer) stage.

Description

The Atlas III consisted of two stages. The first stage was new, but the upper stage was the Centaur, which has been used on most American launch vehicles since the 1960s, and is still in use today on the Atlas V and Delta EELVs. The first stage engines were Russian RD-180s, which are also used by the Atlas V. The Atlas III was produced in two versions. The baseline was the Atlas IIIA, but the Atlas IIIB, which featured a twin-engine version of the Centaur upper stage was also produced.

Launches

The maiden flight of the Atlas III occurred on May 24, 2000, launching the Eutelsat W4 communications satellite into a geosynchronous orbit. All Atlas III launches were made from Launch Complex 36B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Atlas III made its last flight on February 3, 2005, with a classified payload for the United States National Reconnaissance Office.

GX

The GX rocket, currently under development by Galaxy Express Corporation, will use the boost stage of the Atlas III, provided by Lockheed-Martin, and a newly-designed upper stage. The GX will launch from the Tanegashima Space Center, south of Kyūshū, Japan. Its initial launch is currently scheduled for summer 2010. []

References