| Atlas-Centaur | |
| Manufacturer: | Convair Division of General Dynamics |
| Function: | Expendable launch system |
| Country-Origin: | United States |
| Status: | Retired |
| Sites: | Cape Canaveral, LC-36 |
| Fail: | 8 |
| Success: | 48 |
| Partial: | 4 |
| Launches: | 60 |
| First: | 8 May 1962 |
| Last: | 19 May 1983 |
The Atlas-Centaur was a United States expendable launch vehicle derived from the SM-65 Atlas D missile. Launches were conducted from Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida.[1] [2]
| Number | Date/Time (UTC) | Rocket | S/N | Launch Site | Payload | Function | Orbit | Outcome | Reamarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1962-05-08 19:49 | AC-1 | CCAFS LC-36A | Test flight vehicle | Suborbital | First launch of the Atlas-Centaur vehicle. Centaur insulation panel separated prematurely, resulting in LH2 tank rupture at T+54 seconds and subsequent complete launch vehicle destruction. | |||
| 2 | 1963-11-27 19:03 | Atlas-Centaur-B LV-3C | AC-2 | CCAFS LC-36A | Test flight vehicle | LEO | Performed first liquid hydrogen rocket engine firing in space. | ||
| 3 | 1964-06-30 14:04 | Atlas-Centaur-C LV-3C | AC-3 | CCAFS LC-36A | Test flight vehicle | LEO (target) | Centaur hydraulics pump failed, causing engine shutdown 253 seconds after Centaur ignition. | ||
| 4 | 1964-12-11 14:25 | Atlas-Centaur-C LV-3C | AC-4 | CCAFS LC-36A | Surveyor mass model | Test flight vehicle | MEO (target) LEO (actual) | Centaur ullage rocket design flaw prevented it from restarting. | |
| 5 | 1965-03-02 13:25 | Atlas-Centaur-C LV-3C | AC-5 | CCAFS LC-36A | Surveyor SD-1 | Test flight vehicle | MEO (target) | Booster fuel prevalves accidentally closed at T+2 seconds, causing loss of booster engine thrust. Vehicle fell back onto the pad and exploded. | |
| 6 | 1965-08-11 14:31 | Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3C | AC-6 | CCAFS LC-36B | Surveyor SD-2 | Test flight vehicle | HEO | ||
| 7 | 1966-04-08 01:00 | Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3C | AC-8 | CCAFS LC-36B | Surveyor SD-3 | Test flight vehicle | HEO (target) / LEO (actual) | Centaur stage ran out of ullage propellant before restarting. | |
| 8 | 1966-05-30 14:41 | Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3C | AC-10 | CCAFS LC-36A | Surveyor 1 | Lunar lander | HEO | First American lander to soft-land on the Moon. | |
| 9 | 1966-09-20 12:32 | Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3C | AC-7 | CCAFS LC-36A | Surveyor 2 | Lunar lander | HEO | Spacecraft failed en route to the Moon. | |
| 10 | 1966-10-26 11:12 | Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3C | AC-9 | CCAFS LC-36B | Surveyor SD-4 | Test flight vehicle | HEO | Performed first ever liquid hydrogen rocket engine restart in space. | |
| 11 | 1967-04-07 07:05 | Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3C | AC-12 | CCAFS LC-36B | Surveyor 3 | Lunar lander | HEO | ||
| 12 | 1967-07-14 11:53 | Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3C | AC-11 | CCAFS LC-36A | Surveyor 4 | Lunar lander | HEO | Spacecraft crash landed on the Moon. | |
| 13 | 1967-09-08 07:57 | Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3C | AC-13 | CCAFS LC-36B | Surveyor 5 | Lunar lander | HEO | ||
| 14 | 1967-11-07 07:39 | Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3C | AC-14 | CCAFS LC-36B | Surveyor 6 | Lunar lander | HEO | ||
| 15 | 1968-01-07 06:30 | Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3C | AC-15 | CCAFS LC-36A | Surveyor 7 | Lunar lander | HEO | ||
| 16 | 1968-08-10 22:33 | Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3C | AC-17 | CCAFS LC-36A | ATS-4 | Communication/Meteorology | GEO (target) | Centaur stage failed to restart due to oxidizer leak. | |
| 17 | 1968-12-07 08:40 | Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3C | AC-16 | CCAFS LC-36B | OAO-2 | High energy astronomy research | LEO | ||
| 18 | 1969-02-25 01:29 | Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3C | AC-20 | CCAFS LC-36B | Mariner 6 | Mars flyby probe | IPT | ||
| 19 | 1969-03-27 22:22 | Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3C | AC-19 | CCAFS LC-36A | Mariner 7 | Mars flyby probe | IPT | ||
| 20 | 1969-08-12 11:01 | Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3C | AC-18 | CCAFS LC-36A | ATS-5 | Communication/Meteorology | GEO | ||
| 21 | 1970-11-30 22:40:05 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C | AC-21 | CCAFS LC-36B | OAO-B | Astronomy | LEO (target) | Payload fairing failed to separate | |
| 22 | 1971-01-26 00:36:03 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C | AC-25 | CCAFS LC-36A | Intelsat 4 F2 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 23 | 1971-05-09 01:11:02 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C | AC-24 | CCAFS LC-36A | Mariner 8 | Mars probe | Heliocentric (target) | Damaged circuit board in Centaur resulted in control failure and engine shutdown at T+365 seconds. | |
| 24 | 1971-12-20 01:10:04 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C | AC-26 | CCAFS LC-36A | Intelsat 4 F3 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 25 | 1972-01-23 00:12:04 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C | AC-28 | CCAFS LC-36B | Intelsat 4 F4 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 26 | 1972-03-03 01:49:04 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C | AC-27 | CCAFS LC-36A | Pioneer 10 | Jupiter probe | Heliocentric | First probe to visit Jupiter Solar System escape velocity achieved on Jupiter fly-by | |
| 27 | 1972-06-13 21:53:04 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C | AC-29 | CCAFS LC-36B | Intelsat 4 F5 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 28 | 1972-08-21 10:28:02 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C | AC-22 | CCAFS LC-36B | OAO-3 | Astronomy | LEO | Final flight of Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C | |
| 29 | 1973-04-06 02:11:00 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-30 | CCAFS LC-36B | Pioneer 11 | Planetary probe | Heliocentric | Maiden flight of Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D First probe to visit Saturn Solar System escape velocity achieved on Jupiter fly-by | |
| 30 | 1973-08-23 22:57:02 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-31 | CCAFS LC-36A | Intelsat 4 F7 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 31 | 1973-11-03 05:45:00 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-34 | CCAFS LC-36B | Mariner 10 | Planetary probe | Heliocentric | ||
| 32 | 1974-11-21 23:43:59 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-32 | CCAFS LC-36B | Intelsat 4 F8 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 33 | 1975-02-20 23:35:00 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-33 | CCAFS LC-36A | Intelsat 4 F6 | Comsat | GTO (target) | Improper separation of a lanyard during booster jettison reset the Atlas programmer and caused erroneous flight path. RSO T+413 seconds. | |
| 34 | 1975-05-22 22:04:00 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-35 | CCAFS LC-36A | Intelsat 4 F1 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 35 | 1975-09-26 00:17:00 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-36 | CCAFS LC-36B | Intelsat 4A F1 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 36 | 1976-01-29 23:56 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-37 | CCAFS LC-36B | Intelsat 4A F2 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 37 | 1976-05-13 22:28 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-38 | CCAFS LC-36A | Comstar D1 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 38 | 1976-07-22 22:04:00 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-40 | CCAFS LC-36B | Comstar D2 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 39 | 1977-05-26 21:47:01 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-39 | CCAFS LC-36A | Intelsat 4A F4 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 40 | 1977-08-12 06:29:31 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-45 | CCAFS LC-36B | HEAO-1 | Astronomy | LEO | ||
| 41 | 1977-09-30 01:02:59 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-43 | CCAFS LC-36A | Intelsat 4A F5 | Comsat | GTO | Corroded plumbing resulted in a gas generator leak and thrust section fire during ascent. Vehicle self-destructed T+55 seconds. | |
| 42 | 1978-01-07 00:15:00 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-46 | CCAFS LC-36B | Intelsat 4A F3 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 43 | 1978-02-09 21:17:01 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-44 | CCAFS LC-36A | FLTSATCOM-1 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 44 | 1978-03-31 23:36:01 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-48 | CCAFS LC-36B | Intelsat 4A F6 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 45 | 1978-05-20 13:13:00 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-50 | CCAFS LC-36A | Pioneer Venus Orbiter | Venus probe | Heliocentric | ||
| 46 | 1978-06-29 22:24:59 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-41 | CCAFS LC-36B | Comstar D3 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 47 | 1978-08-08 07:33 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-51 | CCAFS LC-36A | Pioneer Venus Multiprobe | Venus probe | Heliocentric | ||
| 48 | 1978-11-13 05:24 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-52 | CCAFS LC-36B | HEAO-2 | Astronomy | LEO | ||
| 49 | 4 May 1979 18:57:00 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-47 | CCAFS, LC-36A | FLTSATCOM-2 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 50 | 20 September 1979 05:28 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-53 | CCAFS, LC-36B | HEAO-3 | Astronomy | LEO | ||
| 51 | 1980-01-18 01:26:00 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-49 | CCAFS, LC-36A | FLTSATCOM-3 | Communications satellite | GTO | ||
| 52 | 1980-10-31 03:54:00 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-57 | CCAFS, LC-36A | FLTSATCOM-4 | Communications satellite | GTO | ||
| 53 | 1980-12-06 23:31:00 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-54 | CCAFS, LC-36B | Intelsat V F-2 | COMSAT | GTO | ||
| 54 | 1981-02-21 23:23:00 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-42 | CCAFS LC-36A | Comstar D4 | Communications satellite | GTO | ||
| 55 | 23 May 1981 22:42:00 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-56 | CCAFS, LC-36B | Intelsat V F-1 | COMSAT | GTO | ||
| 56 | 1981-08-06 08:16:00 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-59 | CCAFS, LC-36A | FLTSATCOM-5 | Communications satellite | GTO | Fairing collapsed during ascent, damaging spacecraft | |
| 57 | 1981-12-15 23:35 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-55 | CCAFS, LC-36B | Intelsat V F-3 | COMSAT | GTO | ||
| 58 | 1982-03-05 00:23 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-58 | CCAFS LC-36A | Intelsat V -504 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 59 | 1982-09-28 23:17 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-60 | CCAFS LC-36B | Intelsat V -505 | Comsat | GTO | ||
| 60 | 1983-05-19 22:26 | Atlas-Centaur SLV-3D | AC-61 | CCAFS LC-36A | Intelsat V -506 | Comsat | GTO | Final flight of the Atlas-Centaur rocket. | |