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A third stage was added to increase the heliocentric (escape) speed. This was the first launch of the Atlas V 551 configuration with five solid rocket boosters, and the first Atlas V with a third stage. [184] On 6 December 2015, Atlas V lifted its heaviest payload to date into orbit – a 16,517 lb (7,492 kg) Cygnus resupply craft. [185]
The Atlas V can fly in multiple configurations, but only one affects the way Centaur integrates with the booster and fairing: the 5.4 m (18 ft) diameter Atlas V payload fairing attaches to the booster and encapsulates the upper stage and payload, routing fairing-induced aerodynamic loads into the booster. If the 4 m (13 ft) diameter payload ...
The Atlas V's first stage is called the Common Core Booster (CCB), which continues to use the Energomash RD-180 introduced in the Atlas III, but employs a rigid framework instead of balloon tanks. The rigid fuselage is heavier, but easier to handle and transport, eliminating the need for constant internal pressure.
The following chart shows the number of launch systems developed in each country, and broken down by operational status. Rocket variants are not distinguished; i.e., the Atlas V series is only counted once for all its configurations 401–431, 501–551, 552, and N22.
The first launch of a Common Core Booster was the maiden flight of the Atlas V, which was launched from Space Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on 21 August 2002. [4] As of November 2020, the Atlas V has made 86 flights, all of which have used a single Common Core Booster.
The EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) is an adapter for launching secondary payloads on orbital launch vehicles.. Originally developed for US launch vehicles in the 2000s to launch secondary payloads on space missions of the United States Department of Defense that used the Atlas V and Delta IV, the adapter design has become a de facto standard and is now also used for spaceflight missions ...
A three-digit naming convention is used for the Atlas V configuration identification. The first digit represents the payload fairing diameter, either 4.2 meters (indicated by a 4) or 5.4 (indicated by a 5) meters.
1.1 Rocket configurations. 1.2 Launch sites. 1.3 Launch outcomes. 2 1980. 3 1981. 4 1982. 5 ... but the upper stage ignited while still attached to the Atlas and was ...