Atlas V
Launch of an Atlas V 401 carrying the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and LCROSS space probes on 18 June 2009. | |
| Function | Medium-lift launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | United Launch Alliance |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Cost per launch | US$110–153 million (2016) |
| Size | |
| Height | Up to 58.3 m (191 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.81 m (12.5 ft) |
| Mass | 590,000 kg (1,300,000 lb) |
| Stages | 2 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | |
| Orbital inclination | 28.70° |
| Mass | 8,210–18,850 kg (18,100–41,560 lb) |
| Payload to GTO | |
| Mass | 4,750–8,900 kg (10,470–19,620 lb) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Family | Atlas |
| Based on | Atlas III |
| Comparable | |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active, retiring |
| Launch sites |
|
| Total launches | 102
|
| Success(es) | 101
|
| Partial failure(s) | 15 June 2007 |
| First flight | 21 August 2002 (Hot Bird 6) |
| Last flight | 28 April 2025 (KuiperSat KA‑01) |
| Boosters – AJ-60A | |
| No. boosters | 0 to 5 |
| Height | 17 m (56 ft) |
| Diameter | 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) |
| Gross mass | 46,697 kg (102,949 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 42,630 kg (93,980 lb) |
| Maximum thrust | 1,688.4 kN (379,600 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 279.3 s (2.739 km/s) |
| Burn time | 94 seconds |
| Propellant | AP / HTPB / Al |
| Boosters – GEM 63 | |
| No. boosters | 0 to 5 |
| Height | 20.1 m (66 ft) |
| Diameter | 1.6 m (63 in) |
| Gross mass | 49,300 kg (108,700 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 44,200 kg (97,400 lb) |
| Maximum thrust | 1,663 kN (374,000 lbf) |
| Burn time | 94 seconds |
| Propellant | AP / HTPB / Al |
| First stage – Atlas CCB | |
| Height | 32.46 m (106.5 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.81 m (12.5 ft) |
| Empty mass | 21,054 kg (46,416 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 284,089 kg (626,309 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 × RD-180 |
| Maximum thrust |
|
| Specific impulse |
|
| Burn time | 253 seconds |
| Propellant | RP-1 / LOX |
| Second stage – Centaur III | |
| Height | 12.68 m (41.6 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.05 m (10.0 ft) |
| Empty mass | 2,316 kg (5,106 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 20,830 kg (45,920 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 × RL10A, 2 × RL10A or 1 × RL10C |
| Maximum thrust | 99.2 kN (22,300 lbf) (RL10A) |
| Specific impulse | 450.5 s (4.418 km/s) (RL10A) |
| Burn time | 842 seconds (RL10A) |
| Propellant | LH2 / LOX |
Atlas V is an expendable launch system and the fifth major version in the Atlas launch vehicle family. It was developed by Lockheed Martin and has been operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA) since 2006. Primarily used to launch payloads for the United States Department of Defense, NASA, and commercial customers, Atlas V is the longest-serving active rocket in the United States.
Each Atlas V vehicle consists of two main stages. The first stage is powered by a single Russian-made RD-180 engine that burns kerosene and liquid oxygen. The Centaur upper stage uses one or two American-made Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10 engines that burn liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Strap-on solid rocket boosters (SRBs) are used in several configurations. Originally equipped with AJ-60A SRBs, the vehicle switched to Graphite-Epoxy Motor (GEM 63) boosters beginning in November 2020, except for flights in the Boeing Starliner program. Standard payload fairings measure either 4.2 m (14 ft) or 5.4 m (18 ft) in diameter, with multiple available lengths.
In August 2021, ULA announced that Atlas V would be retired and all remaining launches had been sold. As of April 2025, 14 launches remain. Production of the rocket ended in 2024. Future ULA missions will use the Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle, which was designed in part to comply with a Congressional mandate to phase out use of the Russian-made RD-180 engine.