Atlas-Able
| Status | Retired |
|---|---|
| Rocket family | Atlas |
| Country | United States |
| Manufacturer | Convair, General Dynamics |
| Number of orbital launches | 4 |
| First launch | 1959-09-24 |
| Last launch | 1960-12-15 |
Atlas-Able was an Atlas D ICBM with an Able 5 second stage and an Altair 1 third stage that was specifically configured to boost Pioneer satellites to the Moon.
Launches:
| Launch date | Launch site | Rocket / Variant | Payload | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960-12-15 | Cape Canaveral | Atlas-Able Atlas-D Able | Pioneer P 31 | B | failure |
The Able upper stage prematurely ignited while the first stage was still firing and exploded at T+74 seconds at an altitude of about 12.2 kilometers. | |||||
| 1960-09-25 | Cape Canaveral | Atlas-Able Atlas-D Able | Pioneer P 30 | B | failure |
The Able second stage ignited abnormally and shut down early because of an oxidizer system failure. | |||||
| 1959-11-26 | Cape Canaveral | Atlas-Able Atlas-D Able | Pioneer P 3 | B | failure |
Payload shroud failed after 45 sec | |||||
| 1959-09-24 | Cape Canaveral | Atlas-Able Atlas-C Able | Pioneer P 1 | B | failure |
Vehicle exploded on pad. | |||||
Variants:
(This section is under construction)Atlas-Able Atlas-C Able
| First launch | 1959-09-24 |
|---|---|
| Mass | 120 t |
| Height | 28 m |
| Diameter | 3.05 m |
Atlas-Able Atlas-D Able
| First launch | 1959-11-26 |
|---|