Atlas LV-3B
In-activeNational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
July 29, 1960
Description
The Atlas LV-3B, Atlas D Mercury Launch Vehicle or Mercury-Atlas Launch Vehicle, was a human-rated expendable launch system used as part of the United States Project Mercury to send astronauts into low Earth orbit. Manufactured by American aircraft manufacturing company Convair, it was derived from the SM-65D Atlas missile, and was a member of the Atlas family of rockets.
Specifications
-
Stages
1 -
Length
28.7 m -
Diameter
3.0 m -
Fairing Diameter
4.9 m -
Launch Mass
120.0 T -
Thrust
1300.0 kN
Family
-
Name
Atlas LV-3B -
Family
― -
Variant
LV-3B -
Alias
― -
Full Name
Atlas LV-3B
Payload Capacity
-
Launch Cost
― -
Low Earth Orbit
1360.0 kg -
Geostationary Transfer
Orbit
― -
Direct Geostationary
― -
Sun-Synchronous Capacity
―
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Government
Administrator: Bill Nelson
NASA 1958The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA have many launch facilities but most are inactive. The most commonly used pad will be LC-39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Atlas LV-3B | Mercury-Atlas 9
National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
May 15, 1963, 1:04 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Mercury-Atlas 9 was the final manned spaceflight of the United States' Mercury program. It carried the Faith 7 spacecraft with astronaut Gordon Cooper to orbit where it completed 22 orbits seconds before reentry. The mission lasted for, 34 hours, 19 minutes & 49 seconds. This was the last time an American was launched to space on a solo orbital mission. The mission had several technical problems, the biggest which was a short-circuit in the bus bar serving the 250 volt main inverter causing the automatic stabilization and control system to stop working during the 21st orbit. In the end Cooper had to use lines he had drawn on the window and his wristwatch to correctly execute burns to safely re-enter the atmosphere.
Low Earth OrbitAtlas LV-3B | Mercury-Atlas 8
National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Oct. 3, 1962, 12:15 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Mercury-Atlas 6 carrying Sigma 7 spacecraft carried astronaut Walter M. Schirra Jr. to orbit where he completed 6 orbits lasting a total of 9 hours and 13 minutes. The mission goal was to compete engineering tests and all objectives were met.
Low Earth OrbitAtlas LV-3B | Mercury-Atlas 7
National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
May 24, 1962, 12:45 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Mercury-Atlas 7 was the fourth crewed spaceflight for the United States. The spacecraft, named Aurora 7, carried the astronaut Scott Carpenter to orbit where it completed three orbits before returning to Earth. The mission lasted for 4 hours, 56 minutes & 5 seconds. Due to a targeting error during reentry the spacecraft splashed about 400 km off-course delaying the recovery efforts.
Low Earth OrbitAtlas LV-3B | Mercury-Atlas 6
National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Feb. 20, 1962, 2:47 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Mercury-Atlas 6 was the third crewed spaceflight for the United States. The spacecraft, named Friendship 7, completed three orbits making John Glenn the first United States astronaut to orbit Earth. The mission lasted for 4 hours, 55 minutes & 23seconds.
Low Earth OrbitAtlas LV-3B | Mercury-Atlas 5
National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Nov. 29, 1961, 3:07 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Mercury-Atlas 5 was an American spaceflight of the Mercury program. It was launched on November 29, 1961, with Enos, a chimpanzee, aboard. The craft orbited the Earth twice and splashed down about 200 miles (320 km) south of Bermuda, and Enos became the first primate from the United States and the third great ape to orbit the Earth.
Low Earth OrbitAtlas LV-3B | Mercury-Atlas 4
National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Sept. 13, 1961, 2:04 p.m.
Atlas LV-3B | Mercury-Atlas 3
National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
April 25, 1961, 4:15 p.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:
Uncrewed test flight of the Mercury program. The launch proceeded normally until about T+20 seconds when the pitch and roll sequence failed to initiate and the vehicle instead just continued flying straight upward, requiring early termination of the flight.
SuborbitalAtlas LV-3B | Mercury-Atlas 2
National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Feb. 21, 1961, 2:10 p.m.
Atlas LV-3B | Mercury-Atlas 1
National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
July 29, 1960, 1:13 p.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:
Mercury-Atlas 1 (MA-1) was the first attempt to launch a Mercury capsule and occurred on July 29, 1960 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft was unmanned and carried no launch escape system. The Atlas rocket suffered a structural failure 58 seconds after launch at an altitude of approximately 30,000 feet (9.1 km) and 11,000 feet (3.4 km) down range.
SuborbitalAtlas LV-3B | Big Joe 1
National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Sept. 9, 1959, 8:19 a.m.
Status: Launch was a Partial Failure
Mission:
Suborbital flight with the objective of testing the Mercury spacecraft ablative heat shield. The Atlas booster section failed to jettison, leading to a lower apogee. It was nonetheless sufficient to satisfy the Mercury spacecraft team.
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