Atlas-Centaur

E9534

Atlas-Centaur was an American expendable launch vehicle family that combined an Atlas booster with a high-energy Centaur upper stage to send payloads, including early interplanetary probes, into space.


Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf expendable launch vehicle family
agencyCustomer Jet Propulsion Laboratory
surface form: "NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory"
configuration Atlas first stage with Centaur upper stage
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: "United States"
designGoal high-energy upper stage performance
developedFrom SM-65 Atlas
era Cold War space race
familyMemberOf Atlas launch vehicle family
fuelTypeFirstStage RP-1
guidanceSystem inertial guidance
heritage SM-65 Atlas
surface form: "Atlas missile program"
intendedUse interplanetary missions
orbital launches
launchCapability escape trajectories for deep space missions
geostationary transfer orbit
launchSitesUsed Cape Canaveral
surface form: "Cape Canaveral Air Force Station"

Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 36
Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 36
surface form: "Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 36A"

Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 36
surface form: "Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 36B"
launchVehicleFamily Atlas
manufacturer Convair
General Dynamics
Lockheed Martin
missionType communications satellite launches
planetary probe launches
weather satellite launches
notableContribution enabled early U.S. interplanetary exploration
notableFeature first operational rocket to use liquid hydrogen as fuel
notablePayload Mariner interplanetary probes
Pioneer interplanetary probes
Surveyor lunar landers
operator NASA
United States Air Force
oxidizerFirstStage liquid oxygen
propellantTypeUpperStage liquid hydrogen
liquid oxygen
reusability expendable
status retired
successor Atlas-Centaur
surface form: "Atlas II with Centaur"

Atlas-Centaur
surface form: "Atlas III with Centaur"

Atlas-Centaur
surface form: "Atlas V with Centaur"
technology cryogenic upper stage
upperStage Centaur
upperStageEngineType RL10
upperStageStructure pressure-stabilized balloon tank design
usedFor NASA missions
United States Air Force missions

Referenced by (12)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Atlas familyIncludes Atlas-Centaur
Pioneer 10 launchVehicle Atlas-Centaur
Pioneer 11 launchVehicle Atlas-Centaur
Pioneer plaque project launchVehicle Atlas-Centaur
Voyager 1 launchVehicle Atlas-Centaur
this entity surface form: "Centaur upper stage"
Atlas notableVariant Atlas-Centaur
Atlas-Centaur successor Atlas-Centaur
this entity surface form: "Atlas II with Centaur"
Atlas-Centaur successor Atlas-Centaur
this entity surface form: "Atlas III with Centaur"
Atlas-Centaur successor Atlas-Centaur
this entity surface form: "Atlas V with Centaur"
SM-65 Atlas successorAsLaunchVehicle Atlas-Centaur
Centaur usedOnLaunchVehicle Atlas-Centaur