It is powered by one Energomash RD-180 main engine burning 284,450 kg (627,100 lb) of liquid oxygen and RP-1. The Atlas V first stage, the Common Core Booster (CCB), is 3.8 m (12 ft) in diameter and 32.5 m (107 ft) in length. LMCLS continued to market the Atlas V to commercial customers worldwide until January 2018, when United Launch Alliance (ULA) assumed control of commercial marketing and sales. The vehicle operates from SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) and SLC-3E at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Air Force Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program and made its inaugural flight on 21 August 2002. The Atlas V was developed by Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services (LMCLS) as part of the U.S. The standard payload fairings are 4.2 or 5.4 m (14 or 18 ft) in diameter with various lengths. In November 2020, they were replaced by the Graphite-Epoxy Motor (GEM-63) SRBs. AJ-60A strap-on solid rocket boosters (SRBs) are used in some configurations. The Star 48 upper stage was used on the New Horizons mission as a third stage. The Centaur upper stage is powered by one or two American RL10 engine(s) manufactured by Aerojet Rocketdyne and burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The first stage is powered by a Russian RD-180 engine manufactured by Energomash and burning kerosene and liquid oxygen. As of 7 December 2021, 26 launches remain.Įach Atlas V launch vehicle consists of two main stages.
In August 2021, ULA announced that Atlas V would be retired, and all 29 remaining launches had been sold. Atlas V is also a major NASA launch vehicle. It was originally designed by Lockheed Martin, now being operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing. 1 RL10A or 1 RL10C (SEC), or 2 RL10A (DEC)Ītlas V is an expendable launch system and the fifth major version in the Atlas launch vehicle family.