SM-65D Atlas (Convair)
The SM-65D Atlas is a non-reusable, inactive launch vehicle manufactured by Convair (established in 1943). It undertook its inaugural launch on 04/14/1959.
The SM-65D Atlas, or Atlas D, was the first operational version of the U.S. Atlas missile. Atlas D was first used as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to deliver a nuclear weapon payload on a suborbital trajectory. It was later developed as a launch vehicle to carry a payload to low Earth orbit on its own, and later to geosynchronous orbit, to the Moon, Venus, or Mars with the Agena or Centaur upper stage.
SM-65D Atlas Specifications
| Variant | D |
|---|---|
| Length | 25.15 m |
| Diameter | 3 m |
| Stages | 1 |
| Launch Mass | 119 T |
| Takeoff Thrust | 1880 kN |
| LEO Capacity | 1400 kg |
SM-65D Atlas Launch Record
| Total Launches | 9 |
|---|---|
| Successful Launches | 6 |
| Failed Launches | 3 |
Manufacturer
Convair, previously Consolidated Vultee, was an American aircraft manufacturing company that later expanded into rockets and spacecraft. The company was formed in 1943 by the merger of Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft. In 1953 it was purchased by General Dynamics, and operated as their Convair Division for most of its corporate history.