Atlas-Able
The Atlas-Able was an American expendable launch system derived from the SM-65 Atlas missile. It was a member of the Atlas family of rockets, and was used to launch several Pioneer spacecraft towards the Moon. Of the five Atlas-Able rockets built, two failed during static firings, and the other three failed to reach orbit.
The Atlas-D Able rocket carrying Pioneer P-3, sitting on Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 14. | |
| Manufacturer | Convair Division of General Dynamics |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Size | |
| Height | 28 m (91 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.05 m (10 ft) |
| Payload to Trans-lunar injection | 170 kg (370 lb) |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites | LC-12, 13 & 14, Cape Canaveral |
| Total launches | 3 |
| Failure(s) | 3 |
| First flight | 26 November 1959 |
| Last flight | 15 December 1960 |
The Atlas-Able was a three-and-a-half-stage rocket, with a stage-and-a-half Atlas missile as the first stage, an Able second stage, and an Altair third stage.
The first Atlas-Able used an Atlas C as the first stage, and was intended to carry Pioneer P-1, but exploded during a static fire test on 24 September 1959.
The remaining Pioneer launches used Atlas D missiles. Launches were conducted from Launch Complexes 12 and 14 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. One launch was planned from Launch Complex 13; this became the second Atlas-Able to be destroyed during a static firing, and hence never launched.