ATLAS IIAS-CENTAUR FACT SHEET

By Cliff Lethbridge

Atlas IIAS-Centaur On Launch Pad, Photo Courtesy NASA

Classification: Space Launch Vehicle

Length: 149 feet, 7 inches (with medium fairing)

Length: 155 feet, 10 inches (with large fairing)

Diameter: 10 feet

Date of First Cape Canaveral Launch: December 15, 1993

Date of Final Cape Canaveral Launch: August 31, 2004

Number of Cape Canaveral Launches: 27

In all other respects identical to the Atlas IIA-Centaur, the innovative Atlas IIAS-Centaur introduced a significant modification to the Atlas family. For the first time, solid rocket boosters were mounted on the Atlas first stage to provide a dramatic increase in payload capacity. A total of four Thiokol Castor IVA solid rocket boosters were strapped to the base of rocket. Each solid rocket booster was 37 feet long and 3 feet, 4 inches wide and could produce a thrust of about 100,000 pounds at liftoff. The boosters burned HTPB solid fuel. Two of the solid rocket boosters were ignited at liftoff. These “ground-lit” boosters burned out about one minute into the flight and were jettisoned by spring action about 30 seconds later. The two remaining “air-lit” solid rocket boosters were ignited about ten seconds following burnout of the first two, then burned out themselves and were jettisoned about one minute later. With the medium fairing, the Atlas IIAS-Centaur could carry a 19,000-pound payload to low-Earth orbit, an 8,200-pound payload to geosynchronous transfer orbit or a 5,890-pound payload to Earth-escape trajectory. With the large fairing, the Atlas IIAS-Centaur could carry an 18,500-pound payload to low-Earth orbit, a 7,700-pound payload to geosynchronous transfer orbit or a 5,640-pound payload to Earth-escape trajectory.