Encyclopedia entry

Atlas SLV-3 Agena B

Launch vehicle · USA

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

American orbital launch vehicle. Standardized Atlas booster with Agena B upper stage.

Payload: 600 kg (1,320 lb) to a 19,500 x 103,000 km orbit at 77.5 deg.

Stage Data - SLV-3 Atlas / Agena B

Stage 0. 1 x Atlas MA-3. Gross Mass: 3,174 kg (6,997 lb). Empty Mass: 3,174 kg (6,997 lb). Thrust (vac): 1,644.960 kN (369,802 lbf). Isp: 290 sec. Burn time: 120 sec. Isp(sl): 256 sec. Diameter: 4.90 m (16.00 ft). Span: 4.90 m (16.00 ft).Propellants: Lox/Kerosene. No Engines: 2. Engine: LR-89-5. Status: In Production.

Stage 1. 1 x Atlas Agena SLV-3. Gross Mass: 117,026 kg (257,998 lb). Empty Mass: 2,326 kg (5,127 lb). Thrust (vac): 386.300 kN (86,844 lbf). Isp: 316 sec. Burn time: 265 sec. Isp(sl): 220 sec. Diameter: 3.05 m (10.00 ft). Span: 4.90 m (16.00 ft). Length: 20.67 m (67.81 ft). Propellants: Lox/Kerosene. No Engines: 1. Engine: LR-105-5. Status: In Production.

Stage 2. 1 x Agena B. Gross Mass: 7,167 kg (15,800 lb). Empty Mass: 867 kg (1,911 lb). Thrust (vac): 71.166 kN (15,999 lbf). Isp: 285 sec. Burn time: 240 sec. Diameter: 1.52 m (4.98 ft). Span: 1.52 m (4.98 ft). Length: 7.09 m (23.26 ft). Propellants: Nitric acid/UDMH. No Engines: 1. Engine: Bell 8081. Status: Out of Production.

Chronology

2 events

LV Family: Atlas. Launch Vehicle: Atlas SLV-3 Agena B.

Ranger 1 booster erected. - . Nation: USA. Program: Ranger. Class: Moon. Type: Lunar probe. Spacecraft Bus: Ranger. Spacecraft: Ranger 1-2. Atlas booster 111-D, to be used for Ranger I, was erected on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral..

02:48 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC12. LV Family: Atlas. Launch Vehicle: Atlas SLV-3 Agena B.

OGO 3 - . Payload: OGO B. Mass: 634 kg (1,397 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA Greenbelt. Class: Earth. Type: Magnetosphere satellite. Spacecraft: OGO. Decay Date: 1981-09-15 . USAF Sat Cat: 2195 . COSPAR: 1966-049A. Apogee: 102,806 km (63,880 mi). Perigee: 19,519 km (12,128 mi). Inclination: 77.60 deg. Period: 2,911.50 min.
Orbiting Geophysical Observatory 3. All 21 experiments returned good data. At the time, this was the largest experimental complement ever put into orbit. There were 4 cosmic ray instruments (1 of which included a gamma-ray spectrometer), 4 plasma, 2 trapped radiation, 2 magnetic fields, 5 ionosphere, 3 radio/optical, and 1 micrometeoroid detectors. OGO 3 maintained 3-axis stabilization for 46 days. At that point, an attitude controller failed and the spacecraft was put into a spin on 23 July 1966. The spin period varied from 90-125 seconds. By June 1969, data acquisition was limited to 50% of the orbital path. Routine spacecraft operation was discontinued on December 1, 1969, after which only data from Heppner's experiment (Rubidium + Fluxgate magnetometer) was acquired. By March 1971 spacecraft perigee had increased to 16,400 km and the inclination had increased to 75.8 deg. All spacecraft support terminated on February 29, 1972.