Atlas-Able

In-active

Convair ()

Nov. 26, 1959

Description

The Atlas-Able was an American expendable launch system derived from the SM-65 Atlas missile. It was a member of the Atlas family of rockets, and was used to launch several Pioneer spacecraft towards the Moon. Of the five Atlas-Able rockets built, two failed during static firings, and the other three failed to reach orbit.

Specifications
  • Stages
    3
  • Length
    35.0 m
  • Diameter
    3.05 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    3.05 m
  • Launch Mass
    120 T
  • Thrust
    1587 kN
Family
  • Name
    Atlas-Able
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Atlas-Able
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    250 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Convair

Commercial
None
1943

Convair, previously Consolidated Vultee, was an American aircraft manufacturing company that later expanded into rockets and spacecraft. The company was formed in 1943 by the merger of Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft. In 1953 it was purchased by General Dynamics, and operated as their Convair Division for most of its corporate history.

Atlas-Able | P-31

Convair | United States of America
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Dec. 15, 1960, 9:10 a.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

An intended lunar orbiter the vehicle was destroyed when the launch vehicle exploded due to a malfunction in the first stage.

Lunar Orbit
Explore Share

Atlas-Able | P-30 (Able VA)

Convair | United States of America
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Sept. 25, 1960, 3:13 p.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

An intended lunar orbiter probe. The vehicle failed during launch.

Lunar Orbit
Explore Share

Atlas-Able | P-3

Convair | United States of America
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Nov. 26, 1959, 7:26 a.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

The Pioneer P-1, -3, -30 and -31 series was intended to be a lunar orbiter probe, but the mission failed shortly after launch. The objectives were to place a highly instrumented probe in lunar orbit, to investigate the environment between the Earth and Moon, and to develop technology for controlling and maneuvering spacecraft from Earth.

Lunar Orbit
Explore Share

Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M
Success
2 days, 3 hours ago
Kosmos 2576
43/4 (43R) - Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

Russian military payload of unknown purposes. Hitchhiking Payloads: SITRO-AIS 53-56; Zorkiy-2M-4 & 6


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 6 hours ago
Starlink Group 8-7
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 20 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
6 days ago
Starlink Group 6-58
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 4C
Success
1 week ago
Shiyan 23
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Satellite officially named for "space environment detection" purposes, exact details unknown.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 8-2
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 20 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.