Atlas II

Atlas II
	Launch of an Atlas II rocket
Function	Medium expendable Launch vehicle
Manufacturer	Lockheed Martin
Country of origin	United States
Size
Height	47.54 m (156.0 ft)
Diameter	3.04 m (10.0 ft)
Mass	204,300 kg (450,400 lb)
Stages	2.5 (3.5 with IABS)
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Mass	Atlas II: 6,580 kg (14,510 lb); Atlas IIA: 7,280 kg (16,050 lb); Atlas IIAS: 8,610 kg (18,980 lb);
Payload to GTO
Mass	Atlas II: 2,810 kg (6,190 lb); Atlas IIA: 3,039 kg (6,700 lb); Atlas IIAS: 3,630 kg (8,000 lb);
Associated rockets
Family	Atlas
Launch history
Status	Retired
Launch sites	SLC-36, Cape Canaveral; SLC-3 Vandenberg AFB
Total launches	63; (II: 10, IIA: 23, IIAS: 30)
Success(es)	63; (II: 10, IIA: 23, IIAS: 30)
First flight	II: December 7, 1991; IIA: June 10, 1992; IIAS: December 16, 1993
Last flight	II: March 16, 1998; IIA: December 5, 2002; IIAS: August 31, 2004
Type of passengers/cargo	SOHO (Atlas IIAS); TDRS (Atlas IIA)
No. boosters	4
Stage info
Boosters (Atlas IIAS) – Castor 4A
No. boosters	4
Powered by	1 Solid
Maximum thrust	478.3 kN (107,500 lbf)
Specific impulse	266 s (2.61 km/s)
Burn time	56 seconds
Propellant	HTPB
Boosters (all) – MA-5A
No. boosters	1
Powered by	2 RS-56-OBA
Maximum thrust	2,093.3 kN (470,600 lbf)
Specific impulse	299 s (2.93 km/s)
Burn time	172 seconds
Propellant	RP-1 / LOX
First stage
Powered by	1 RS-56-OSA
Maximum thrust	386 kN (87,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	316 s (3.10 km/s)
Burn time	283 seconds
Propellant	RP-1 / LOX
Second stage – Centaur
Powered by	2 RL-10A
Maximum thrust	147 kN (33,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	449 s (4.40 km/s)
Burn time	392 seconds
Propellant	LH2 / LOX
Third stage – Integrated Apogee Boost Stage (Only on DSCS III launches)
Powered by	2 R-4D
Maximum thrust	980 N (220 lbf)
Specific impulse	312 s (3.06 km/s)
Burn time	60 seconds
Propellant	N2O4 / MMH

Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first stage tanks, higher-performing engines, and the option for strap-on solid rocket boosters. It was designed to launch payloads into low Earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II a highly reliable space launch system. The Atlas line was continued by the Atlas III, used between 2000 and 2005, and the Atlas V which is still in use.

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