Atlas D GAATV Credit - © Thom Media Gallery

Atlas D with further improved and lightened Agena upper stage.

Manufacturer: Convair. Launches: 15. Failures: 1. Success Rate: 93.33%. First Launch Date: 1963-07-12. Last Launch Date: 1965-07-20. Launch data is: complete. Payload: 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). to a: Geosynchronous transfer trajectory. Apogee: 400,000 km (240,000 mi). Associated Spacecraft: ERS, KH-7, Mariner 3-4, SSF, TRS, Vela, SAINT. Liftoff Thrust: 1,939.290 kN (435,970 lbf). Total Mass: 153,365 kg (338,111 lb). Core Diameter: 3.05 m (10.00 ft). Total Length: 35.00 m (114.00 ft).

• Stage Number: 0. 1 x Stage: Atlas MA-5. Gross Mass: 3,646 kg (8,038 lb). Empty Mass: 3,646 kg (8,038 lb). Thrust (vac): 1,896.010 kN (426,240 lbf). Isp: 294 sec. Burn time: 174 sec. Isp(sl): 259 sec. Diameter: 4.90 m (16.00 ft). Span: 4.90 m (16.00 ft). Length: 0.00 m ( ft). Propellants: Lox/Kerosene. No Engines: 2. Engine: LR-89-7. Status: Out of production.

• Stage Number: 1. 1 x Stage: Atlas Agena SLV-3A. Gross Mass: 142,000 kg (313,000 lb). Empty Mass: 3,700 kg (8,100 lb). Thrust (vac): 386.300 kN (86,844 lbf). Isp: 316 sec. Burn time: 175 sec. Isp(sl): 220 sec. Diameter: 3.05 m (10.00 ft). Span: 4.90 m (16.00 ft). Length: 20.67 m (67.81 ft). Propellants: Lox/Kerosene. No Engines: 1. Engine: LR-105-7. Status: Out of production.

• Stage Number: 2. 1 x Stage: Agena D. Gross Mass: 6,821 kg (15,037 lb). Empty Mass: 673 kg (1,483 lb). Thrust (vac): 71.166 kN (15,999 lbf). Isp: 300 sec. Burn time: 265 sec. Isp(sl): 0 sec. Diameter: 1.52 m (4.98 ft). Span: 1.52 m (4.98 ft). Length: 7.09 m (23.26 ft). Propellants: Nitric acid/UDMH. No Engines: 1. Engine: Bell 8096. Status: Out of production. One of the real workhorses of U. S. space exploration, Agena was an upper stage which was also employed as a spacecraft, the whole vehicle going into orbit. Agena played a key role in manned space flight; it was the target vehicle for rendezvous and docking manoeuvres in NASA's Gemini project. Agena had a main rocket engine capable of multiple re-starts in space; in the modified target vehicle version it also had 2 secondary engines to provide small changes in velocity and position in orbit. In the Gemini Agena, a control system could handle 96 commands from the astronauts or from ground stations. Agena was used as an upper stage with the Thor, augmented Thor, Atlas and Titan boosters; it had played important roles in such military and NASA programs as Discoverer, Samos, Mariner, OGO, Lunar Orbiter, Ranger and Orbiting Astronomical Observatory.

• Stage Number: 3. 1 x Stage: Burner 2. Gross Mass: 774 kg (1,706 lb). Empty Mass: 116 kg (255 lb). Thrust (vac): 43.551 kN (9,791 lbf). Isp: 285 sec. Burn time: 42 sec. Isp(sl): 220 sec. Diameter: 0.66 m (2.16 ft). Span: 0.66 m (2.16 ft). Length: 0.84 m (2.75 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: Star 37. Burner II was a launch vehicle upper stage developed by Boeing for the Air Force Space Systems Division. It was the first solid-fuel upper stage with full control and guidance capability developed for general space applications. Burner II was designed for use with the Thor booster, but was readily adapted for use on the complete range of standard launch vehicles. Its general assignment was to place small- and medium size payloads into orbit. The Burner II motor, guidance system and reaction control system were integrated to provide attitude stability and precise control of flight rate and burnout velocity for orbital injection and earth-escape missions. Boeing had delivered 8 flight vehicles under its original contract. Under terms of a follow-on contract, it built 6 additional flight models. Four Thor-Burner II combinations were launched successfully from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The third launch placed 2 unclassified satellites in Earth orbit. A SECOR satellite, built for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by the Cubic Corporation, and an Aurora satellite, developed by Rice University for the Office of Naval Research, were placed in circular orbits 3,300 km above the Earth. As integration contractor for the Air Force Space Experiment Support Program (SESP) Office, Boeing designed, built and tested the injection stage, or "payload dispenser," which carried the 2 satellites on top of a standard Burner II stage and placed them in precise orbits. The satellites were mounted on opposite sides of the injection stage, which housed a640 kgf thrust, solid-propellant rocket motor. The Burner II was used as an upper stage by NASA for deep space probes. Prime Contractor: The Boeing Company. Major Subcontractors Thiokol Chemical Corporation (solid rocket motor); Honeywell Inc. (pre-programmed inertial guidance system); Walter Kidde Co. (reaction control system).

• Stage Number: 4. 1 x Stage: Star 17. Gross Mass: 124 kg (273 lb). Empty Mass: 14 kg (30 lb). Thrust (vac): 19.600 kN (4,406 lbf). Isp: 280 sec. Burn time: 18 sec. Isp(sl): 220 sec. Diameter: 0.44 m (1.44 ft). Span: 0.44 m (1.44 ft). Length: 0.98 m (3.21 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: Star 17. Status: Out of production.

1963 July 12 - 20:45 GMT - Launch Site: Point Arguello. Launch Complex: LC2-3. Launch Pad: LC2-3. Launch Vehicle: Atlas LV-3A / Agena D. Model: Atlas Agena D. LV Configuration: Atlas Agena D 201D / Agena D S01A 4702.

• KH 7-01 (Gambit) Nation: USA. Payload: KH-7 no. 1. Mass: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: KH-7. Agency: NRO/USAF. Perigee: 173 km (107 mi). Apogee: 212 km (131 mi). Inclination: 95.30 deg. Period: 88.30 min. COSPAR: 1963-028A. USAF Sat Cat: 618. Decay Date: 1963-07-17. KH-7 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• KH 7-02 Nation: USA. Payload: KH-7 no. 2. Mass: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: KH-7. Agency: NRO/USAF. Perigee: 171 km (106 mi). Apogee: 243 km (150 mi). Inclination: 94.40 deg. Period: 88.70 min. COSPAR: 1963-036A. USAF Sat Cat: 641. Decay Date: 1963-09-13. KH-7 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• Vela 2 Nation: USA. Payload: Vela 1B. Mass: 220 kg (480 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Nuclear Detection. Spacecraft: Vela. Agency: USAF. Perigee: 101,081 km (62,808 mi). Apogee: 116,582 km (72,440 mi). Inclination: 38.70 deg. Period: 6,486.20 min. COSPAR: 1963-039A. USAF Sat Cat: 674. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• TRS 5 Nation: USA. Payload: ERS 12. Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Class: Technology. Spacecraft: TRS. Agency: USAF. Perigee: 953 km (592 mi). Apogee: 102,372 km (63,610 mi). Inclination: 35.90 deg. Period: 2,319.40 min. COSPAR: 1963-039B. USAF Sat Cat: 675. Decay Date: 1963-06-30. Decay date suspect Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• Vela 1 Nation: USA. Payload: Vela 1A. Mass: 220 kg (480 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Nuclear Detection. Spacecraft: Vela. Agency: USAF. Perigee: 101,925 km (63,333 mi). Apogee: 116,528 km (72,407 mi). Inclination: 37.80 deg. Period: 6,519.60 min. COSPAR: 1963-039C. USAF Sat Cat: 692. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• KH 7-03 Nation: USA. Payload: KH-7 no. 3. Mass: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: KH-7. Agency: NRO/USAF. Perigee: 123 km (76 mi). Apogee: 312 km (193 mi). Inclination: 99.00 deg. Period: 88.80 min. COSPAR: 1963-041A. USAF Sat Cat: 677. Decay Date: 1963-10-29. KH-7 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• Agena D Nation: USA. Spacecraft: KH-7. Agency: USAF. Perigee: 116 km (72 mi). Apogee: 276 km (171 mi). Inclination: 99.00 deg. Period: 88.41 min. COSPAR: 1963-041B. USAF Sat Cat: 678. Decay Date: 1963-10-31. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• KH 7-04 Nation: USA. Payload: KH-7 no. 4. Mass: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: KH-7. Agency: NRO/USAF. Perigee: 122 km (75 mi). Apogee: 266 km (165 mi). Inclination: 97.90 deg. Period: 88.50 min. COSPAR: 1963-051A. USAF Sat Cat: 711. Decay Date: 1963-12-20. KH-7 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• KH 7-05 Nation: USA. Payload: KH-7 no. 5. Mass: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: KH-7. Agency: NRO/USAF. Perigee: 135 km (83 mi). Apogee: 135 km (83 mi). Inclination: 95.60 deg. Period: 87.20 min. COSPAR: 1964-009A. USAF Sat Cat: 754. Decay Date: 1964-03-01. KH-7 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• KH 7-06 Nation: USA. Payload: KH-7 no. 6. Mass: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: KH-7. Agency: NRO/USAF. Perigee: 163 km (101 mi). Apogee: 203 km (126 mi). Inclination: 95.70 deg. Period: 88.20 min. COSPAR: 1964-012A. USAF Sat Cat: 764. Decay Date: 1964-03-16. KH-7 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• KH 7-07 Nation: USA. Payload: KH-7 no. 7. Mass: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: KH-7. Agency: NRO/USAF. Perigee: 150 km (90 mi). Apogee: 336 km (208 mi). Inclination: 103.60 deg. Period: 89.40 min. COSPAR: 1964-020A. USAF Sat Cat: 786. Decay Date: 1964-04-29. KH-7 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• KH 7-08 Nation: USA. Payload: KH-7 no. 8. Mass: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: KH-7. Agency: NRO/USAF. Perigee: 141 km (87 mi). Apogee: 380 km (230 mi). Inclination: 101.10 deg. Period: 89.70 min. COSPAR: 1964-024A. USAF Sat Cat: 799. Decay Date: 1964-05-22. KH-7 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• KH 7-09 Nation: USA. Payload: KH-7 no. 9. Mass: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: KH-7. Agency: NRO/USAF. Perigee: 121 km (75 mi). Apogee: 345 km (214 mi). Inclination: 92.90 deg. Period: 89.10 min. COSPAR: 1964-036A. USAF Sat Cat: 825. Decay Date: 1964-07-08. KH-7 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• OPS 4923 Nation: USA. Payload: EHH A3. Mass: 80 kg (176 lb). Class: Sigint. Spacecraft: SSF. Agency: NRO/USAF. Perigee: 156 km (96 mi). Apogee: 505 km (313 mi). Inclination: 92.90 deg. Period: 91.10 min. COSPAR: 1964-036B. USAF Sat Cat: 826. Decay Date: 1965-01-03. Radar monitoring. References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 172, 278.

• Vela 3 Nation: USA. Payload: Vela 2A. Mass: 220 kg (480 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Nuclear Detection. Spacecraft: Vela. Agency: USAF. Perigee: 102,500 km (63,600 mi). Apogee: 104,101 km (64,685 mi). Inclination: 39.10 deg. Period: 6,024.80 min. COSPAR: 1964-040A. USAF Sat Cat: 836. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• Vela 4 Nation: USA. Payload: Vela 2B. Mass: 220 kg (480 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Nuclear Detection. Spacecraft: Vela. Agency: USAF. Perigee: 92,103 km (57,230 mi). Apogee: 114,000 km (70,000 mi). Inclination: 40.80 deg. Period: 6,004.30 min. COSPAR: 1964-040B. USAF Sat Cat: 837. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• TRS 6 Nation: USA. Payload: ERS 13. Mass: 12 kg (26 lb). Class: Technology. Spacecraft: TRS. Agency: USAF. Perigee: 217 km (134 mi). Apogee: 104,665 km (65,035 mi). Inclination: 36.70 deg. Period: 2,366.20 min. COSPAR: 1964-040C. USAF Sat Cat: 838. Decay Date: 1966-07-01. Decay date suspect Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• KH 7-13 Nation: USA. Payload: KH-7 no. 13. Mass: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: KH-7. Agency: NRO/USAF. Perigee: 140 km (80 mi). Apogee: 267 km (165 mi). Inclination: 95.50 deg. Period: 88.50 min. COSPAR: 1964-068A. USAF Sat Cat: 912. Decay Date: 1964-10-28. KH-7 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• SRV Nation: USA. Mass: 60 kg (132 lb). Spacecraft: KH-7. Agency: NRO/USAF. Perigee: 311 km (193 mi). Apogee: 344 km (213 mi). Inclination: 95.50 deg. Period: 91.10 min. COSPAR: 1964-068B. USAF Sat Cat: 914. Decay Date: 1965-02-23. Radar monitoring. References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 172, 278.

• OPS 5063 Nation: USA. Payload: EHH A4. Class: Sigint. Spacecraft: SSF. Agency: USAF AFSC. COSPAR: 1964-068xx. USAF Sat Cat: 914. Decay Date: 1965-02-23. References: 279.

• Mariner 3 Nation: USA. Program: Mariner. Payload: Mariner C-2. Mass: 260 kg (570 lb). Class: Planetary. Type: Mars. Spacecraft: Mariner 3-4. Agency: NASA/JPL. COSPAR: 1964-073A. USAF Sat Cat: 923. Mars probe; launch fairing failure prevented Mars flyby. Solar Orbit (Heliocentric). Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• Mariner 4 Nation: USA. Program: Mariner. Payload: Mariner C-3. Mass: 260 kg (570 lb). Class: Planetary. Type: Mars. Spacecraft: Mariner 3-4. Agency: NASA/JPL. COSPAR: 1964-077A. USAF Sat Cat: 938. Mariner 4 provided the first up close pictures of Mars. The protective shroud covering Mariner 4 was jettisoned and the Agena D/Mariner 4 combination separated from the Atlas D booster at 14:27:23 GMT on 28 November 1964. The Agena D first burn from 14:28:14 to 14:30:38 put the spacecraft into an Earth parking orbit and the second burn from 15:02:53 to 15:04:28 injected the craft into a Mars transfer orbit. Mariner 4 separated from the Agena D at 15:07:09 and began cruise mode operations. The solar panels deployed and the scan platform was unlatched at 15:15:00 and Sun acquisition occurred 16 minutes later. A midcourse maneuver made on 5 December 1964.

  After a 228 day cruise, the spacecraft flew by Mars on July 14 and 15, 1965. Planetary science mode was turned on at 15:41:49 GMT on 14 July. The camera sequence started at 00:18:36 GMT on July 15 and 21 pictures plus 21 lines of a 22nd picture were taken. The images covered a discontinuous swath of Mars starting near 40 N, 170 E, down to about 35 S, 200 E, and then across to the terminator at 50 S, 255 E, representing about 1% of the planet's surface. The closest approach was 9,846 km from the Martian surface at 01:00:57 GMT 15 July 1965. The images taken during the flyby were stored in the onboard tape recorder. At 02:19:11 GMT Mariner 4 passed behind Mars as seen from Earth and the radio signal ceased. The signal was reacquired at 03:13:04 GMT when the spacecraft reappeared. Cruise mode was then re-established. Transmission of the taped images to Earth began about 8.5 hours after signal reacquisition and continued until 3 August. All images were transmitted twice to insure no data was missing or corrupt.

  The spacecraft performed all programmed activities successfully and returned useful data from launch until 22:05:07 GMT on 1 October 1965, when the distance from Earth (309.2 million km) and the antenna orientation temporarily halted signal acquisition. In 1967 Mariner 4 returned to the vicinity of Earth again and engineers decided to use the ageing craft for a series of operational and telemetry tests to improve their knowledge of the technologies that would be needed for future interplanetary spacecraft. The cosmic dust detector registered 17 hits in a 15 minute span on 15 September, part of an apparent micrometeoroid shower which temporarily changed the spacecraft attitude and probably slightly damaged the thermal shield. On 7 December the gas supply in the attitude control system was exhausted, and on December 10 and 11 a total of 83 micrometeoroid hits were recorded which caused perturbation of the attitude and degradation of the signal strength. On 21 December 1967 communications with Mariner 4 were terminated.

  Results

  The total data returned by the mission was 5.2 million bits. All experiments operated successfully with the exception of the ionization chamber/Geiger counter which failed in February, 1965 and the plasma probe, which had its performance degraded by a resistor failure on 6 December 1964. The images returned showed a Moon-like cratered terrain (which later missions showed was not typical for Mars, but only for the more ancient region imaged by Mariner 4). A surface atmospheric pressure of 4.1 to 7.0 mb was estimated and no magnetic field was detected.References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278, 296.

• Vela 5 Nation: USA. Payload: Vela 3A. Mass: 235 kg (518 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Nuclear Detection. Spacecraft: Vela. Agency: USAF. Perigee: 106,367 km (66,093 mi). Apogee: 115,839 km (71,978 mi). Inclination: 35.20 deg. Period: 6,679.00 min. COSPAR: 1965-058A. USAF Sat Cat: 1458. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• Vela 6 Nation: USA. Payload: Vela 3B. Mass: 235 kg (518 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Nuclear Detection. Spacecraft: Vela. Agency: USAF. Perigee: 101,715 km (63,202 mi). Apogee: 121,281 km (75,360 mi). Inclination: 34.20 deg. Period: 6,712.70 min. COSPAR: 1965-058B. USAF Sat Cat: 1459. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• ORS 3 Nation: USA. Payload: ERS 17. Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Class: Earth. Type: Magnetosphere. Spacecraft: ERS. Agency: USAF. Perigee: 566 km (351 mi). Apogee: 111,793 km (69,464 mi). Inclination: 36.90 deg. Period: 2,595.40 min. COSPAR: 1965-058C. USAF Sat Cat: 1460. Decay Date: 1968-07-01. Radiation data. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1, 2, 5, 6, 278.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

• Gatland, Kenneth, Missiles and Rockets, Macmillan, New York, 1975. ISBN: 0713735058. Covers rocketry of all nations. More at amazon.com...

• Koelle, Heinz Hermann,, Handbook of Astronautical Engineering, McGraw-Hill,New York, 1961. The only such comprehensive handbook ever produced, and at the dawn of the space age.

• Walker, Chuck, with Powell, Joel, Atlas - The Ultimate Weapon, Apogee Books, Canada, 2005. ISBN: 1894959183. Another excellent Apogee Book, the only in-depth account of the design, development, and production of the rocket that was America's first ICBM, pioneered US spaceflight, and continued to take payloads into orbit into the next millenium. More at amazon.com...