Athena (rocket family)
Athena was a 1990s Lockheed Martin expendable launch system which underwent several name changes in its lifetime.
Athena II with Lunar Prospector | |
| Function | Small, modular component launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin Alliant Techsystems |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Size | |
| Height | 19.8 - 30.48 m (65 - 100 ft) |
| Diameter | 2.36 m (92 in) |
| Mass | 66,344 - 120,202 kg (146,264 - 265,000 lb) |
| Stages | 2 or 3 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | |
| Mass | 794–1,896 kg (1,750–4,180 lb) |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites |
|
| Total launches | 7 For breakdown by variant, see text. Launch data. |
| Success(es) | 5 |
| Failure(s) | 2 |
| First flight | August 15, 1995 |
| Last flight | September 30, 2001 |
| Type of passengers/cargo | Lunar Prospector |
| First stage – Castor 120 | |
| Powered by | 1 |
| Maximum thrust | 1,900 kN (430,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 280 s (2.7 km/s) |
| Burn time | 83.4 seconds |
| Propellant | Class 1.3 HTPB |
| Second stage – ORBUS 21D | |
| Powered by | 1 |
| Maximum thrust | 194 kN (44,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 293 s (2.87 km/s) |
| Burn time | 150 seconds |
| Propellant | Class 1.3 HTPB |
Development began at the Lockheed Corporation in 1993, where the design was known as the Lockheed Launch Vehicle. The name was subsequently changed to the Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle when Lockheed merged with Martin Marietta. In 1997 the name was finally changed to Athena, and all of the launches after the demonstration flight in August 1995 were conducted using that name. Athena was retired from service in 2001, but in September 2010 Athena was added to NASA's Launch Services II contract. It was announced that it would be put back into production, with launches set to resume in 2012. All production had ceased by March 2017.
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