About the Atlas LV3C The Atlas-Centaur was a United States expendable launch vehicle derived from the SM-65 Atlas D missile. Launches were conducted from Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida.
Launch statistics Launch Outcomes
Launch Pads
Target orbit
Launches +The data in this table comes from, and Number Date/Time(UTC) Rocket S/N Launch site Payload Function Orbit Outcome Remarks11962-05-0819:49AC-1CCAFS LC-36ATest flight vehicleSuborbitalFirst launch of the Atlas-Centaur vehicle. Centaur insulation panel separated prematurely, resulting in LH2 tank rupture at T+54 seconds and subsequent complete launch vehicle destruction.21963-11-2719:03Atlas-Centaur-B LV-3CAC-2CCAFS LC-36ATest flight vehicleLEOPerformed first liquid hydrogen rocket engine firing in space.31964-06-3014:04Atlas-Centaur-C LV-3CAC-3CCAFS LC-36ATest flight vehicleLEO (target)Centaur hydraulics pump failed, causing engine shutdown 253 seconds after Centaur ignition.41964-12-1114:25Atlas-Centaur-C LV-3CAC-4CCAFS LC-36ASurveyor mass modelTest flight vehicleMEO (target)LEO (actual)Centaur ullage rocket design flaw prevented it from restarting.51965-03-0213:25Atlas-Centaur-C LV-3CAC-5CCAFS LC-36ASurveyor SD-1Test flight vehicleMEO (target)Booster fuel prevalves accidentally closed at T+2 seconds, causing loss of booster engine thrust. Vehicle fell back onto the pad and exploded.61965-08-1114:31Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3CAC-6CCAFS LC-36BSurveyor SD-2Test flight vehicleHEO71966-04-0801:00Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3CAC-8CCAFS LC-36BSurveyor SD-3Test flight vehicleHEO (target) / LEO (actual)Centaur stage ran out of ullage propellant before restarting.81966-05-3014:41Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3CAC-10CCAFS LC-36ASurveyor 1Lunar landerHEOFirst American lander to soft-land on the Moon.91966-09-2012:32Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3CAC-7CCAFS LC-36ASurveyor 2Lunar landerHEOSpacecraft failed en route to the Moon.101966-10-2611:12Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3CAC-9CCAFS LC-36BSurveyor SD-4Test flight vehicleHEOPerformed first ever liquid hydrogen rocket engine restart in space.111967-04-0707:05Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3CAC-12CCAFS LC-36BSurveyor 3Lunar landerHEO121967-07-1411:53Atlas-Centaur-D LV-3CAC-11CCAFS LC-36ASurveyor 4Lunar landerHEOSpacecraft crash landed on the Moon.131967-09-0807:57Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3CAC-13CCAFS LC-36BSurveyor 5Lunar landerHEO141967-11-0707:39Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3CAC-14CCAFS LC-36BSurveyor 6Lunar landerHEO151968-01-0706:30Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3CAC-15CCAFS LC-36ASurveyor 7Lunar landerHEO161968-08-1022:33Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3CAC-17CCAFS LC-36AATS-4Communication/MeteorologyGEO (target)Centaur stage failed to restart due to oxidizer leak.171968-12-0708:40Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3CAC-16CCAFS LC-36BOAO-2High energy astronomy researchLEO181969-02-2501:29Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3CAC-20CCAFS LC-36BMariner 6Mars flyby probeIPT191969-03-2722:22Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3CAC-19CCAFS LC-36AMariner 7Mars flyby probeIPT201969-08-1211:01Atlas-Centaur-D SLV-3CAC-18CCAFS LC-36AATS-5Communication/MeteorologyGEO211970-11-3022:40:05Atlas-Centaur SLV-3CAC-21CCAFS LC-36BOAO-BAstronomyLEO (target)Payload fairing failed to separate221971-01-2600:36:03Atlas-Centaur SLV-3CAC-25CCAFS LC-36AIntelsat 4 F2ComsatGTO231971-05-0901:11:02Atlas-Centaur SLV-3CAC-24CCAFS LC-36AMariner 8Mars probeHeliocentric (target)Damaged circuit board in Centaur resulted in control failure and engine shutdown at T+365 seconds.241971-12-2001:10:04Atlas-Centaur SLV-3CAC-26CCAFS LC-36AIntelsat 4 F3ComsatGTO251972-01-2300:12:04Atlas-Centaur SLV-3CAC-28CCAFS LC-36BIntelsat 4 F4ComsatGTO261972-03-0301:49:04Atlas-Centaur SLV-3CAC-27CCAFS LC-36APioneer 10Jupiter probeHeliocentricFirst probe to visit JupiterSolar System escape velocity achieved on Jupiter fly-by271972-06-1321:53:04Atlas-Centaur SLV-3CAC-29CCAFS LC-36BIntelsat 4 F5ComsatGTO281972-08-2110:28:02Atlas-Centaur SLV-3CAC-22CCAFS LC-36BOAO-3AstronomyLEOFinal flight of Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C291973-04-0602:11:00Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-30CCAFS LC-36BPioneer 11Planetary probeHeliocentricMaiden flight of Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DFirst probe to visit SaturnSolar System escape velocity achieved on Jupiter fly-by301973-08-2322:57:02Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-31CCAFS LC-36AIntelsat 4 F7ComsatGTO311973-11-0305:45:00Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-34CCAFS LC-36BMariner 10Planetary probeHeliocentric321974-11-2123:43:59Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-32CCAFS LC-36BIntelsat 4 F8ComsatGTO331975-02-2023:35:00Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-33CCAFS LC-36AIntelsat 4 F6ComsatGTO (target)Improper separation of a lanyard during booster jettison reset the Atlas programmer and caused erroneous flight path. RSO T+413 seconds.341975-05-2222:04:00Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-35CCAFS LC-36AIntelsat 4 F1ComsatGTO351975-09-2600:17:00Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-36CCAFS LC-36BIntelsat 4A F1ComsatGTO361976-01-2923:56Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-37CCAFS LC-36BIntelsat 4A F2ComsatGTO371976-05-1322:28Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-38CCAFS LC-36AComstar D1ComsatGTO381976-07-2222:04:00Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-40CCAFS LC-36BComstar D2ComsatGTO391977-05-2621:47:01Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-39CCAFS LC-36AIntelsat 4A F4ComsatGTO401977-08-1206:29:31Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-45CCAFS LC-36BHEAO-1AstronomyLEO411977-09-3001:02:59Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-43CCAFS LC-36AIntelsat 4A F5ComsatGTOCorroded plumbing resulted in a gas generator leak and thrust section fire during ascent. Vehicle self-destructed T+55 seconds.421978-01-0700:15:00Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-46CCAFS LC-36BIntelsat 4A F3ComsatGTO431978-02-0921:17:01Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-44CCAFS LC-36AFLTSATCOM-1ComsatGTO441978-03-3123:36:01Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-48CCAFS LC-36BIntelsat 4A F6ComsatGTO451978-05-2013:13:00Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-50CCAFS LC-36APioneer Venus OrbiterVenus probeHeliocentric461978-06-2922:24:59Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-41CCAFS LC-36BComstar D3ComsatGTO471978-08-0807:33Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-51CCAFS LC-36APioneer Venus MultiprobeVenus probeHeliocentric481978-11-1305:24Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-52CCAFS LC-36BHEAO-2AstronomyLEO494 May 197918:57:00Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-47CCAFS, LC-36AFLTSATCOM-2ComsatGTO5020 September 197905:28Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-53CCAFS, LC-36BHEAO-3AstronomyLEO511980-01-1801:26:00Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-49CCAFS, LC-36AFLTSATCOM-3Communications satelliteGTO521980-10-3103:54:00Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-57CCAFS, LC-36AFLTSATCOM-4Communications satelliteGTO531980-12-0623:31:00Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-54CCAFS, LC-36BIntelsat V F-2COMSATGTO541981-02-2123:23:00Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-42CCAFS LC-36AComstar D4Communications satelliteGTO5523 May 198122:42:00Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-56CCAFS, LC-36BIntelsat V F-1COMSATGTO561981-08-0608:16:00Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-59CCAFS, LC-36AFLTSATCOM-5Communications satelliteGTOFairing collapsed during ascent, damaging spacecraft571981-12-1523:35Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-55CCAFS, LC-36BIntelsat V F-3COMSATGTO581982-03-0500:23Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-58CCAFS LC-36AIntelsat V -504ComsatGTO591982-09-2823:17Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-60CCAFS LC-36BIntelsat V -505ComsatGTO601983-05-1922:26Atlas-Centaur SLV-3DAC-61CCAFS LC-36AIntelsat V -506ComsatGTOFinal flight of the Atlas-Centaur rocket.
References