50th anniversary of first Atlas launch

50th anniversary of first Atlas launch

I remember that launch (I was 12 and already a 'space nut') -- the car radio
we were listening to, on our way to the beach, broke into the music program
to breathlessly announce the blastoff. A few minutes later, they broke in
again to announce it had exploded. And later in the days, there was a flurry
of radio rumors that the explosion was only a cover story and that the
missile had reached 'outer space' and was drifting there, "orbiting". In
those days, anything was thought possible.

He
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/m...1n11atlas.html

"Jim Oberg" wrote in message
...
50th anniversary of first Atlas launch

I remember that launch (I was 12 and already a 'space nut') -- the car
radio we were listening to, on our way to the beach, broke into the music
program to breathlessly announce the blastoff. A few minutes later, they
broke in again to announce it had exploded. And later in the days, there
was a flurry of radio rumors that the explosion was only a cover story and
that the missile had reached 'outer space' and was drifting there,
"orbiting". In those days, anything was thought possible.

He
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/m...1n11atlas.html

The race to space kept the company busy, as well. Atlas rockets boosted
four of the Mercury 7 astronauts into orbit and played a crucial role in
the Gemini program into the mid-1960s.

Gemini? I thought Titan boosters were used for the entire program.

james_powers wrote:

The race to space kept the company busy, as well. Atlas rockets boosted
four of the Mercury 7 astronauts into orbit and played a crucial role in
the Gemini program into the mid-1960s.

Gemini? I thought Titan boosters were used for the entire program.

Atlas was used to launch the Agena target vehicle (GATV).

--
Dave Michelson

"james_powers" ) writes:
"Jim Oberg" wrote in message
...
50th anniversary of first Atlas launch

I remember that launch (I was 12 and already a 'space nut') -- the car
radio we were listening to, on our way to the beach, broke into the music
program to breathlessly announce the blastoff. A few minutes later, they
broke in again to announce it had exploded. And later in the days, there
was a flurry of radio rumors that the explosion was only a cover story
and that the missile had reached 'outer space' and was drifting there,
"orbiting". In those days, anything was thought possible.

He
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/m...1n11atlas.html

The race to space kept the company busy, as well. Atlas rockets boosted
four of the Mercury 7 astronauts into orbit and played a crucial role in
the Gemini program into the mid-1960s.

Gemini? I thought Titan boosters were used for the entire program.

What do you think launched the Agena docking targets used by G. 8,
10, 11, and 12, and desired to have been used by G. 6 & 9 ?

Andre

Dave Michelson wrote:

james_powers wrote:

The race to space kept the company busy, as well. Atlas rockets boosted
four of the Mercury 7 astronauts into orbit and played a crucial role in
the Gemini program into the mid-1960s.

Gemini? I thought Titan boosters were used for the entire program.

Atlas was used to launch the Agena target vehicle (GATV).

"In the 50 years since, Atlas rockets have carried astronauts into
space, pushed the first commercial payloads into orbit and lifted
probes that have explored every planet in the solar system".

Untrue for Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

The Pioneer 10 and 11 (Jupiter and Saturn) launch vehicle was Atlas-
Centaur.

The Voyager 1 and 2 (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) launch
vehicle was Titan-Centaur.

The New Horizons (Pluto) launch vehicle was Atlas V, but the
spacecraft will not reach Pluto until 2015.

(Andre Lieven) writes:

[...]

What do you think launched the Agena docking targets used by G. 8,
10, 11, and 12, and desired to have been used by G. 6 & 9 ?

Not to mention that the ADTA *was* launched into orbit by an Atlas; even
if it didn't fulfill the the "D" part of its mission, it did serve as a
rendezvous target and an object of photography for Gemini 9.

"Scott M. Kozel" writes:

[...]

"In the 50 years since, Atlas rockets have carried astronauts into
space, pushed the first commercial payloads into orbit and lifted
probes that have explored every planet in the solar system".

Untrue for Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

The Pioneer 10 and 11 (Jupiter and Saturn) launch vehicle was Atlas-
Centaur.

The Voyager 1 and 2 (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) launch
vehicle was Titan-Centaur.

The New Horizons (Pluto) launch vehicle was Atlas V, but the
spacecraft will not reach Pluto until 2015.

I'm on the side that contends Pluto is not a planet, but the
first-discovered (and not even largest) Kuiper Belt object. Which
doesn't diminish my interest in it at all, and I'm glad objects like it,
asteroids, and comets are receiving more attention and visits from
probes.

(Some days I feel like arguing Mercury isn't a planet but rather the
only extant example of some other kind of object, but I won't go there
today...)

Chris Jones writes:

(Andre Lieven) writes:

[...]

What do you think launched the Agena docking targets used by G. 8,
10, 11, and 12, and desired to have been used by G. 6 & 9 ?

Not to mention that the ADTA *was* launched into orbit by an Atlas

Oops, that should have been ATDA (Augmented Target Docking Adapter).

if it didn't fulfill the the "D" part of its mission, it did serve as a
rendezvous target and an object of photography for Gemini 9.

Chris Jones wrote:
"Scott M. Kozel" writes:

[...]


"In the 50 years since, Atlas rockets have carried astronauts into
space, pushed the first commercial payloads into orbit and lifted
probes that have explored every planet in the solar system".

Untrue for Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

The Pioneer 10 and 11 (Jupiter and Saturn) launch vehicle was Atlas-
Centaur.

The Voyager 1 and 2 (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) launch
vehicle was Titan-Centaur.

The New Horizons (Pluto) launch vehicle was Atlas V, but the
spacecraft will not reach Pluto until 2015.


I'm on the side that contends Pluto is not a planet, but the
first-discovered (and not even largest) Kuiper Belt object. Which
doesn't diminish my interest in it at all, and I'm glad objects like it,
asteroids, and comets are receiving more attention and visits from
probes.

(Some days I feel like arguing Mercury isn't a planet but rather the
only extant example of some other kind of object, but I won't go there
today...)

Actually, Mercury is what you call your SBO (Severely Baked Object).

--

..

"Though I could not caution all, I yet may warn a few:
Don't lend your hand to raise no flag atop no ship of fools!"

--grateful dead.
__________________________________________________ ______________
Mike Flugennock, flugennock at sinkers dot org
Mike's Political Cartoons: dubya dubya dubya dot sinkers dot org

Chris Jones ) writes:
(Andre Lieven) writes:

[...]

What do you think launched the Agena docking targets used by G. 8,
10, 11, and 12, and desired to have been used by G. 6 & 9 ?

Not to mention that the ADTA *was* launched into orbit by an Atlas; even
if it didn't fulfill the the "D" part of its mission, it did serve as a
rendezvous target and an object of photography for Gemini 9.

Truth. I figured that four examples were enough. :-)

Andre