Engineering:Atlas H
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 Launch of the last Atlas H with NOSS-9. | |
| Function | Expendable launch system |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Convair General Dynamics |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites | SLC-3E, Vandenberg Air Force Base |
| Total launches | 5 |
| Successes | 5 |
| First flight | 9 February 1983 |
| Last flight | 15 May 1987 |
| Boosters | |
| No. boosters | 1 |
| Engines | 2 LR-89-7 |
| Total thrust | 1,901.6 kN (427,500 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 293.4 s |
| Burn time | 155 seconds |
| Fuel | RP-1/LOX |
| First stage | |
| Engines | 1 LR-105-7 |
| Thrust | 386.4 kN (86,900 lbf) Atlas D |
| Specific impulse | 316 s |
| Burn time | 266 seconds |
| Fuel | RP-1/LOX |
The Atlas H was an American expendable launch system derived from the SM-65 Atlas missile.[1] It was a member of the Atlas family of rockets, and was used to launch five clusters of NOSS satellites for the US National Reconnaissance Office.[1] Two flights also carried LiPS satellites, as secondary payloads for the United States Naval Research Laboratory.[1]
The Atlas H was a stage and a half rocket, using the enhanced Atlas rocket designed for use as the first stage of the Atlas G rocket,[2] which differed from the Atlas H in having a Centaur upper stage. This stage was later reused as the first stage of the Atlas I. In practice, an MSD upper stage was flown on all five launches.[3]
Atlas H could put a payload of 3,630 kg (8,000 lb) into low Earth orbit, or a payload of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb) into a geostationary transfer orbit.[1]
Launches
The Atlas H was launched five times from Vandenberg SLC3E:[1]
| Date | Mission | Mass (kg) | Apogee (km) | Perigee (km) | Inclination º |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 February 9 | NOSS 4 - PARCAE 5 / OPS 0252 | 700 | 1,186 | 1,063 | 63.40 |
| SSB - SSU | 700 | 1,489 | 733 | 63.40 | |
| SSD (NOSS 4) - NOSS-Subsat 4-4 | 1,419 | 796 | 63.40 | ||
| SSC - SSU | 1,173 | 1,043 | 63.50 | ||
| SSA - SSU | 1,166 | 1,051 | 63.40 | ||
| SSA (NOSS 4) - NOSS-Subsat 4-1 / OPS 0252 DEB | 1,164 | 1,051 | 63.50 | ||
| LIPS 2 | 1,399 | 822 | 63.30 | ||
| 1983 June 9 | NOSS 5 - PARCAE 6 / OPS 6432 | 700 | 1,167 | 1,049 | 63.40 |
| GB1 - SSU | 1,167 | 1,049 | 63.40 | ||
| GB3 - SSU | 1,166 | 1,049 | 63.40 | ||
| GB2 - SSU | 1,167 | 1,049 | 63.40 | ||
| 1984 February 5 | NOSS 6 - PARCAE 7 / OPS 8737 | 700 | 1,172 | 1,052 | 63.40 |
| JD1 - SSU | 1,172 | 1,052 | 63.40 | ||
| JD2 - SSU | 1,172 | 1,052 | 63.40 | ||
| JD3 - SSU | 1,172 | 1,052 | 63.40 | ||
| 1986 February 9 | USA 15 - PARCAE 8 | 700 | 1,166 | 1,049 | 63.00 |
| USA 18 - SSU | 1,407 | 817 | 63.41 | ||
| USA 16 - SSU | 1,161 | 1,055 | 63.00 | ||
| USA 17 - SSU | 1,165 | 1,055 | 63.00 | ||
| 1987 May 15 | USA 22 - PARCAE 9 | 700 | 1,179 | 1,045 | 62.90 |
| LIPS 3 | 1,316 | 899 | 63.40 | ||
| USA 25 - SSU | 1,178 | 1,035 | 62.60 | ||
| USA 24 - SSU | 1,184 | 1,046 | 63.20 | ||
| USA 23 - SSU | 1,170 | 1,039 | 63.40 |
References
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