The Atlas H was an American expendable launch system derived from the SM-65 Atlas missile.[1] It was a member of the Atlas family of rockets, and was used to launch five clusters of NOSS satellites for the US National Reconnaissance Office.[1] Two flights also carried LiPS satellites, as secondary payloads for the United States Naval Research Laboratory.[1]
The Atlas H was a stage and a half rocket, using the enhanced Atlas rocket designed for use as the first stage of the Atlas G rocket,[2] which differed from the Atlas H in having a Centaur upper stage. This stage was later reused as the first stage of the Atlas I. In practice, an MSD upper stage was flown on all five launches.[3]
Atlas H could put a payload of 3,630 kg (8,000 lb) into low Earth orbit, or a payload of 2,255 kg (4,971 lb) into a geostationary transfer orbit.[1]
Launches
The Atlas H was launched five times from Vandenberg SLC3E:[1]
| Date | Mission | Mass (kg) | Apogee (km) | Perigee (km) | Inclination º |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 February 9 | NOSS 4 – PARCAE 5 / OPS 0252 | 700 | 1,186 | 1,063 | 63.40 |
| SSB – SSU | 700 | 1,489 | 733 | 63.40 | |
| SSD (NOSS 4) – NOSS-Subsat 4-4 | 1,419 | 796 | 63.40 | ||
| SSC – SSU | 1,173 | 1,043 | 63.50 | ||
| SSA – SSU | 1,166 | 1,051 | 63.40 | ||
| SSA (NOSS 4) – NOSS-Subsat 4-1 / OPS 0252 DEB | 1,164 | 1,051 | 63.50 | ||
| LIPS 2 | 1,399 | 822 | 63.30 | ||
| 1983 June 9 | NOSS 5 – PARCAE 6 / OPS 6432 | 700 | 1,167 | 1,049 | 63.40 |
| GB1 – SSU | 1,167 | 1,049 | 63.40 | ||
| GB3 – SSU | 1,166 | 1,049 | 63.40 | ||
| GB2 – SSU | 1,167 | 1,049 | 63.40 | ||
| 1984 February 5 | NOSS 6 – PARCAE 7 / OPS 8737 | 700 | 1,172 | 1,052 | 63.40 |
| JD1 – SSU | 1,172 | 1,052 | 63.40 | ||
| JD2 – SSU | 1,172 | 1,052 | 63.40 | ||
| JD3 – SSU | 1,172 | 1,052 | 63.40 | ||
| 1986 February 9 | USA 15 – PARCAE 8 | 700 | 1,166 | 1,049 | 63.00 |
| USA 18 – SSU | 1,407 | 817 | 63.41 | ||
| USA 16 – SSU | 1,161 | 1,055 | 63.00 | ||
| USA 17 – SSU | 1,165 | 1,055 | 63.00 | ||
| 1987 May 15 | USA 22 – PARCAE 9 | 700 | 1,179 | 1,045 | 62.90 |
| LIPS 3 | 1,316 | 899 | 63.40 | ||
| USA 25 – SSU | 1,178 | 1,035 | 62.60 | ||
| USA 24 – SSU | 1,184 | 1,046 | 63.20 | ||
| USA 23 – SSU | 1,170 | 1,039 | 63.40 |
References
- ^ a b c d e “Atlas H”. www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
- ^ Encyclopedia Astronautica – Atlas
- ^ Gunter’s Space Page – Atlas-H MSD
