Atlas Agena B

In-active Atlas

United States Air Force (USAF)

Jan. 31, 1961

Description

The Atlas LV-3A was a largely unsuccessful configuration until it was given an Agena B upper stage. It was responsible for the launch of Mariner II to Venus and had one of the first engines that could be restarted in orbit.

Specifications
  • Length
    20.27 m
  • Diameter
    3.05 m
  • Fairing Diameter
  • Launch Mass
    130 T
  • Thrust
    363 kN
Family
  • Name
    Atlas Agena B
  • Family
    Atlas
  • Variant
    LV-3 Agena B
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Atlas LV-3 Agena B
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $14210000
  • Low Earth Orbit
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

United States Air Force

Government
Commander-in-Chief: President of the US
USAF 1947

The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947.

Atlas Agena B | Ranger 9

United States Air Force | USA
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
March 21, 1965, 9:37 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Lunar impactor which successfully reached the surface after transmitting 5,814 photographs.

Lunar Impactor
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Atlas Agena B | Ranger 8

United States Air Force | USA
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Feb. 17, 1965, 5:05 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Lunar impactor which successfully reached the surface after transmitting 7,137 photographs.

Lunar Impactor
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Atlas Agena B | OGO 1

United States Air Force | USA
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Sept. 5, 1964, 1:23 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

The OGO (Orbiting Geophysical Observatory) series was a series of large, complex research satellites.

Elliptical Orbit
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Atlas Agena B | Ranger 7

United States Air Force | USA
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
July 28, 1964, 4:50 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Lunar impactor which successfully reached the surface after transmitting 7,137 photographs.

Lunar Impactor
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Atlas Agena B | Ranger 6

United States Air Force | USA
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Jan. 30, 1964, 3:49 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Lunar impactor which successfully reached the surface but sent no video signal back to Earth.

Lunar Impactor
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Atlas Agena B | Midas 9

United States Air Force | USA
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
July 19, 1963, 3:51 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

MIDAS Series 3 (Military Defense Alarm System) early warning satellite.

Medium Earth Orbit
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Atlas Agena B | Midas 8

United States Air Force | USA
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
June 12, 1963, midnight
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

MIDAS Series 3 (Military Defense Alarm System) early warning satellite.

Medium Earth Orbit
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Atlas Agena B | Midas 7

United States Air Force | USA
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
May 9, 1963, 8:06 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

MIDAS Series 3 (Military Defense Alarm System) early warning satellite.

Medium Earth Orbit
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Atlas Agena B | Midas 6

United States Air Force | USA
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Dec. 17, 1962, 8:36 p.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

MIDAS Series 3 (Military Defense Alarm System) early warning satellite.

Medium Earth Orbit
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Atlas Agena B | Samos-E6 5

United States Air Force | USA
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Nov. 11, 1962, 8:17 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Samos E-6 (Satellite and Missile Observation System) was an attempt to create an medium-resolution reconnaissance satellite with film return via reentry capsule.

Polar Orbit
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Atlas Agena B | Ranger 5

United States Air Force | USA
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Oct. 18, 1962, 4:59 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Lunar impactor which missed the Moon by 725 km due to an unknown malfunction preventing the spacecraft from receiving power after injection into lunar trajectory.

Lunar Impactor
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Atlas Agena B | Mariner 2

United States Air Force | USA
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Aug. 27, 1962, 6:53 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Backup of Mariner 1, designed to flyby Venus. It passed below the planet at a closest distance of 34,773 km.

Venus flyby
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Atlas Agena B | Samos-E6 4

United States Air Force | USA
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Aug. 5, 1962, 5:58 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Samos E-6 (Satellite and Missile Observation System) was an attempt to create an medium-resolution reconnaissance satellite with film return via reentry capsule.

Polar Orbit
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Atlas Agena B | Mariner 1

United States Air Force | USA
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
July 22, 1962, 9:21 a.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

Spacecraft designed to flyby Venus. It was lost during launch.

Venus flyby
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Atlas Agena B | Samos-E6 3

United States Air Force | USA
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
July 18, 1962, 8:51 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Samos E-6 (Satellite and Missile Observation System) was an attempt to create an medium-resolution reconnaissance satellite with film return via reentry capsule.

Polar Orbit
Explore Share

Atlas Agena B | Samos-E6 2

United States Air Force | USA
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
June 17, 1962, 6:14 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Samos E-6 (Satellite and Missile Observation System) was an attempt to create an medium-resolution reconnaissance satellite with film return via reentry capsule.

Polar Orbit
Explore Share

Atlas Agena B | Samos-E6 1

United States Air Force | USA
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
April 26, 1962, 6:56 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Samos E-6 (Satellite and Missile Observation System) was an attempt to create an medium-resolution reconnaissance satellite with film return via reentry capsule.

Polar Orbit
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Atlas Agena B | Ranger 4

United States Air Force | USA
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
April 23, 1962, 8:50 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Ranger 4 was a spacecraft designed to softly impact the lunar surface. Its solar panels were never extended and its sun and earth acquisition system was not initiated due to a failure of a timer in its central computer. It impacted the far side of the Moon on April 26 after 64 hours of flight.

Lunar Impactor
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Atlas Agena B | Midas 5

United States Air Force | USA
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
April 9, 1962, 3:04 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Military Defense Alarm System satellite designed to detect ICBMs using 175 infrared detectors. This launch also carried a batch of West Ford needles.

Polar Orbit
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Atlas Agena B | Samos 6

United States Air Force | USA
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
March 7, 1962, 10:10 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

High-resolution reconnaissance satellite with film return via reentry capsule.

Polar Orbit
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Atlas Agena B | Ranger 3

United States Air Force | USA
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Jan. 26, 1962, 8:30 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Ranger 3 was a spacecraft designed to transmit pictures of the lunar surface during the last 10 minutes prior to impacting the Moon. A malfunction in the booster guidance system resulted in excessive spacecraft speed. Ranger 3 missed the Moon by 36,800 km and is now in a heliocentric orbit.

Heliocentric N/A
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Atlas LV-3A | Samos 5

United States Air Force | USA
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Dec. 22, 1961, 7:12 p.m.
Status: Launch was a Partial Failure
Unknown Mission

There are no mission or payload details available for this launch.


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Atlas LV-3A | Samos 4

United States Air Force | USA
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Nov. 22, 1961, 8:45 p.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Unknown Mission

There are no mission or payload details available for this launch.


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Atlas LV-3A | Ranger 2

United States Air Force | USA
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Nov. 18, 1961, 8:12 a.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Unknown Mission

There are no mission or payload details available for this launch.


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Atlas LV-3A | MIDAS 4 & Westford-1

United States Air Force | USA
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Oct. 21, 1961, 1:53 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Unknown Mission

There are no mission or payload details available for this launch.


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Atlas LV-3A | Samos 3

United States Air Force | USA
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Sept. 9, 1961, 7:28 p.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Unknown Mission

There are no mission or payload details available for this launch.


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Atlas LV-3A | Ranger 1

United States Air Force | USA
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Aug. 23, 1961, 10:04 a.m.
Status: Launch was a Partial Failure
Unknown Mission

There are no mission or payload details available for this launch.


Explore Share

Atlas LV-3A | MIDAS 3

United States Air Force | USA
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
July 12, 1961, 3:11 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Unknown Mission

There are no mission or payload details available for this launch.


Explore Share

Atlas LV-3A | Samos 2

United States Air Force | USA
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Jan. 31, 1961, 8:21 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Unknown Mission

There are no mission or payload details available for this launch.


Explore Share

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