Atlas III

Atlas III is a partially reusable launch vehicle developed by Lockheed Martin, which has been used for a variety of spacecraft and satellite launches, including those for NASA, the United States Air Force, and Intelsat. The Atlas III is based on the Atlas II rocket, with improvements including a new RD-180 engine and a Centaur upper stage. The development of the Atlas III was influenced by the Space Shuttle program and the need for more efficient and cost-effective launch vehicles, as discussed by Wernher von Braun and Sergei Korolev. The Atlas III has been launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Vandenberg Air Force Base, with support from Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and United Launch Alliance.

Introduction

The Atlas III was first launched in 2000, with its maiden flight carrying a Eutelsat communications satellite into geostationary orbit. The rocket's development was a collaboration between Lockheed Martin, Energomash, and NASA, with contributions from European Space Agency, Russian Federal Space Agency, and Canadian Space Agency. The Atlas III has been used for a variety of missions, including the launch of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover, Cassini-Huygens, and Voyager 1, as well as Intelsat and Inmarsat satellites, with support from Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Godard Space Flight Center, and European Astronaut Centre. The rocket's design and development were influenced by the work of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Robert Goddard, and Hermann Oberth, and have been used in conjunction with Ariane 5, Delta IV, and Falcon 9 launch vehicles.

Design and Development

The Atlas III is a two-stage rocket, with a RD-180 engine powering the first stage and a Centaur upper stage. The rocket's design is based on the Atlas II, with improvements including a new engine and a more efficient upper stage, developed in collaboration with Pratt & Whitney, Rocketdyne, and Aerojet. The Atlas III has a payload capacity of up to 5,000 kg to geostationary transfer orbit, making it suitable for a variety of missions, including communications satellite launches and interplanetary spacecraft launches, such as those to Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The rocket's development was influenced by the Apollo program, Space Shuttle program, and International Space Station program, with contributions from NASA's Johnson Space Center, NASA's Kennedy Space Center, and European Space Agency's Guiana Space Centre.

Operational History

The Atlas III has been launched a total of 14 times, with its first launch in 2000 and its final launch in 2005, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Vandenberg Air Force Base, with support from United Launch Alliance, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin. The rocket has been used for a variety of missions, including the launch of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover, Cassini-Huygens, and Voyager 1, as well as Intelsat and Inmarsat satellites, with support from Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Godard Space Flight Center, and European Astronaut Centre. The Atlas III has also been used for launches of commercial satellites, such as those for SES, Telesat, and O3b Networks, with support from Arianespace, International Launch Services, and Sea Launch. The rocket's operational history has been marked by a number of significant events, including the 2003 Mars Exploration Rover launch and the 2004 Cassini-Huygens launch, with contributions from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, European Space Agency, and Italian Space Agency.

Specifications

The Atlas III has a number of key specifications, including a payload capacity of up to 5,000 kg to geostationary transfer orbit and a height of 53.3 meters. The rocket's first stage is powered by a RD-180 engine, which provides a thrust of 3.8 MN, developed in collaboration with Energomash and NPO Energia. The upper stage is a Centaur stage, which is powered by a RL10 engine, developed by Pratt & Whitney and Rocketdyne. The Atlas III has a launch mass of 214,000 kg and a diameter of 3.1 meters, making it suitable for launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Vandenberg Air Force Base, with support from United Launch Alliance and Lockheed Martin.

Variants

There are several variants of the Atlas III, including the Atlas IIIA and Atlas IIIB. The Atlas IIIA is a basic version of the rocket, with a payload capacity of up to 4,100 kg to geostationary transfer orbit. The Atlas IIIB is an upgraded version of the rocket, with a payload capacity of up to 5,000 kg to geostationary transfer orbit, developed in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, Energomash, and NASA. The Atlas III has also been used as the basis for the development of other launch vehicles, including the Atlas V, which has been used for a variety of missions, including the launch of NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover and New Horizons, with support from United Launch Alliance, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin. The Atlas III has been used in conjunction with Ariane 5, Delta IV, and Falcon 9 launch vehicles, with contributions from Arianespace, International Launch Services, and SpaceX.

Category:Launch vehicles