D.2 Atlas Launch and Performance History
Atlas space-launch vehicles, originally manufactured by General Dynamics and
currently by Lockheed Martin, derived from the Atlas ICBM series developed in the
1950s. The primary one-and-one-half-stage vehicle played a major role in early lunar
exploration activities (the unmanned Ranger, Lunar Orbiter, and Surveyor programs),
and planetary probes (Mariner and Pioneer). Table 40 shows a summary of Atlas
configurations since the beginning of the program.[1°1
Table 40. Summarv of Atlas Vehicle Configurations
onfiguration scription
A ICBM single-stage test vehicle
B,C ICBM 1½-stage test vehicle
D ICBM and later space-launch vehicle
E,F First an ICBM (1960), then a reentry test vehicle (1964), then a
space-launch vehicle (1968)
LV-3A Same as D except Agena upper stage
LV-3B Same as D except man-rated for Project Mercury
SLV-3 Same as LV-3A except reliabilitv improvements
SLV-3A Same as SLV-3 except stretched 117 inches
LV-3C Integrated with Centaur D upper stage
SLV-3C Same as LV-3C except stretched 51 inches
SLV-3D Same as SLV-3C except Centaur uprated to D-lA and Atlas
electronics integrated with Centaur (no longer radio guided)
G Same as SLV-3D but Atlas stretched 81 inches
H Same as SLV-3D except with E/F avionics and no Centaur
I Same as G except strengthened for 14-ft payload fairing, ring laser
gyro added
II Same as I except Atlas stretched 108 inches, engines uprated,
hydrazine roll-control added, verniers deleted, Centaur stretched
36 inches
IIA
IIAS
Same as II except Centaur RL-l0s engines uprated to 20K lbs
thrust and 6.5 seconds lsp increase from extendible RL-10 nozzles
Same as IIA except 4 Castor IVA strap-on SRMs added
Atlas A, B, and C were developmental ICBMs. Atlas D, E, and F configurations were
deployed as operational ICBMs during the 1960s. During that time, some Atlas Ds
were modified as space-launch vehicles in the LV series: LV-3A, 3B, and· 3C. The
Standardized Launch Vehicle (SLV) series derived from a need to reduce lead times in
transforming Atlas missiles to space-launch vehicles. The SLV series began with the
SLV-3 vehicle, which used an Agena upper stage. The G and H vehicles evolved from
the SLV series. Eventually the I, II, IIA, and IIAS configurations were developed with
the aim of also supporting commercial launches.
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