D.2 Atlas Launch and Performance History
Atlas space-launch vehicles, originally manufactured by General Dynamics and
currently by Lockheed Martin, derived from the Atlas ICBM series developed in the
1950s. The primary one-and-one-half-stage vehicle played a major role in early lunar
exploration activities (the unmanned Ranger, Lunar Orbiter, and Surveyor programs),
and planetary probes (Mariner and Pioneer). Table 40 shows a summary of Atlas
configurations since the beginning of the program.[1°1

                 Table 40. Summarv of Atlas Vehicle Configurations
    onfiguration     scription
 A                ICBM single-stage test vehicle
 B,C              ICBM 1½-stage test vehicle
 D                ICBM and later space-launch vehicle
 E,F              First an ICBM (1960), then a reentry test vehicle (1964), then a
                  space-launch vehicle (1968)
 LV-3A            Same as D except Agena upper stage
 LV-3B            Same as D except man-rated for Project Mercury
 SLV-3            Same as LV-3A except reliabilitv improvements
 SLV-3A           Same as SLV-3 except stretched 117 inches
 LV-3C            Integrated with Centaur D upper stage
 SLV-3C           Same as LV-3C except stretched 51 inches
 SLV-3D           Same as SLV-3C except Centaur uprated to D-lA and Atlas
                  electronics integrated with Centaur (no longer radio guided)
 G                Same as SLV-3D but Atlas stretched 81 inches
 H                Same as SLV-3D except with E/F avionics and no Centaur
 I                Same as G except strengthened for 14-ft payload fairing, ring laser
                  gyro added
 II               Same as I except Atlas stretched 108 inches, engines uprated,
                  hydrazine roll-control added, verniers deleted, Centaur stretched
                  36 inches
 IIA              Same as II except Centaur RL-l0s engines uprated to 20K lbs
                  thrust and 6.5 seconds lsp increase from extendible RL-10 nozzles
 IIAS             Same as IIA except 4 Castor IVA strap-on SRMs added

Atlas A, B, and C were developmental ICBMs. Atlas D, E, and F configurations were
deployed as operational ICBMs during the 1960s. During that time, some Atlas Ds
were modified as space-launch vehicles in the LV series: LV-3A, 3B, and· 3C. The
Standardized Launch Vehicle (SLV) series derived from a need to reduce lead times in
transforming Atlas missiles to space-launch vehicles. The SLV series began with the
SLV-3 vehicle, which used an Agena upper stage. The G and H vehicles evolved from
the SLV series. Eventually the I, II, IIA, and IIAS configurations were developed with
the aim of also supporting commercial launches.


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