Appendix E

On Mars: Exploration of the Red Planet. 1958-1978

Appendix E [pp465-469]
Launch Vehicles for Mars Missions

Atlas-Agena B Characteristics
Atlas-Agena D Characteristics
Atlas-Centaur Characteristics
Titan IIIE- Centaur Characteristics

Atlas-Agena launch vehicles-used by NASA during the 1960s to launch a variety of payloads to Earth orbit, the moon, and the near planets-sent Mariner spacecraft (200-260 kilograms) on their way to Venus or Mars. The Agena upper stage, developed by Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. for the Air Force, was capable of restarting its engines, thus permitting the spacecraft to be positioned more precisely. Paired with the Atlas booster, Agena B was used in 1962 for the first two Mariner flights (the Atlas stage malfunctioned during the Mariner 1 launch). Atlas-Agena D, with an improved upper stage that could accept a greater variety of payloads, launched the next three Mariners in 1964 and 1967.

Advanced mission planners of the early 1960s had based their planetary exploration schedules on the early availability of the high-energy Centaur upper stage. Centaur, a liquid-hydrogen-fueled stage developed for NASA by General Dynamics/Convair, did not go into service until 1966, however. It was 1969 before Atlas-Centaur sent two 400-kilogram Mariners flying by Mars. In May 1971, a Centaur failure led to the destruction of the next Mariner spacecraft. A second attempt weeks later saw Mariner 9 (990 kilograms) off on its journey to Mars. In November 1973, Atlas-Centaur boosted Mariner 10 (500 kilograms) to an interplanetary (Venus and Mercury) trajectory.

Centaur also had a role in the Viking Mars landing project. Mated with a Titan IIIE two-stage vehicle, the improved Centaur could boost the 3500-kilogram, two-part Viking spacecraft to the Red Planet. NASA had used another model of the Air Force Titan, the Titan II, for the manned Gemini program, 1965-1966. The Titan IIIE, a modified version of the Titan IIID used by the Air Force since 1971 as a satellite launcher and made by Martin Marietta Corporation, was a powerful, versatile vehicle. NASA's first test launch of Titan IIIE-Centaur in February 1974 ended in failure, however, because of the malfunction of a Centaur component. Helios 1, a German satellite, was successfully launched by NASA with Titan-Centaur the following December. The bulbous launch vehicle with its two powerful strap-on booster rockets performed equally well in 1975 for Viking.


Atlas-Agena B Characteristics

Characteristics

1st Stage, Atlas

2d Stage,
Agena B

Total With Adapter

Height (m)

21.9

7.2

30.6

Diameter (m)

3

1.5

-

Launch weight (kg)

117 780

7022

124 802

Propulsion system:

Powerplant

MA-3 propulsion system

Bell
XLR-81-Ba-9
(model 8081; upgraded to 8096)

-

Thrust (Kilonewtons)

1600

71.2

1670

Propellant ^a

LOX/RP-1

IRFNA/UDMH

-

Payload capacity (kg)

-

-

2627 to Earth Orbit
340 to escape trajectory
204 to Mars or Venus

Origin

Uprated Atlas-Agena A

Contractor

- Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp (prime).
- North American Aviation, Inc. (engines)

- Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. (prime)
- Bell Aerospace (engine)

-

Program Use

Mariner, Ranger, and OGO

Remarks

Capable of engine restart
^a LOX/RP-1 = liquid oxygen and modified kerosene.
IRFNA/UDMH = inhibited red-fuming nitric acid and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine.




Atlas-Agena D Characteristics

Characteristics

1st Stage,
Atlas

2d Stage,
Agena B

Total With Adapter

Height (m)

21.9
23.2 (SLV-3C)

7.2

30.6
32.1 (w/SLV-3C)

Diameter (m)

3

1.5

-

Launch weight (kg)

117 780
128 879 (SLV-3C)

7248

125 028
136 127 (w/SLV-3C)

Propulsion system:

Powerplant

MA-5 propulsion system

Bell
XLR-81-Ba-9
(model 8247; upgraded to 8533)

-

Thrust (Kilonewtons)

1600
1750 (SLV-3C)

71.2

1670
1820 (w/SLV-3C)

Propellant ^a

LOX/RP-1

N₂O₄/UDMH

Payload capacity (kg)

-

-

2718 to Earth Orbit
385 to escape trajectory
250 to Mars or Venus

Origin

Uprated Atlas-Agena B

Contractors

- Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp (prime).
- North American Aviation, Inc. (engines)

- Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. (prime)
- Bell Aerospace (engine)

-

Program Use

Mariner, OAO, Lunar Orbiter, and ATS

Remarks

The Agena D stage could accept a greater variety of payloads than could the Agena B model.
^a LOX/RP-1 = liquid oxygen and modified kerosene.
N₂O₄/UDMH = nitrogen tetroxide and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine.



Atlas-Centaur Characteristics

Characteristics

1st Stage,
Atlas SLV-3C/
Atlas SLV-3D

2d Stage,
Centaur D-1A

Total

Height (m)

23.2

13
14.6 w/payload fairing

34

Diameter (m)

3.05

3.05

-

Launch weight (kg)

128 879

17 145

146 024

Propulsion system:

Powerplant

MA-5 propulsion system

Pratt & Whitney (2)
RL-10

-

Thrust (Kilonewtons)

1700/1900

133.4

1890/2050

Propellant ^a

LOX/RP-1

LOX/LH₂

-

Payload capacity (kg)

-

-

3857/4536 to Earth Orbit
1225/1882 to synchronous orbit
815/907 to Mars or Venus

Origin

Air Force ICBM

General Dynamics studies for a high-energy second stage; development supported by NASA

Contractors

- General Dynamics/Convair (formerly Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp.) (prime).
- North American Aviation, Inc. (engines)

- General Dynamics/Convair

-

Program Use

Surveyor, ATS, OAO, Mariner, Intelsat, Pioneer.

Remarks

Centaur, the first U.S. launch vehicle to use liquid hydrogen as a propellant, was originally scheduled for operations in the early 1960s for Mars and Venus probes. Because of delays in the vehicle's development, however, it was not ready until 1966. One of the serious problems with the stage's development was hydrogen loss; heat transfer between the oxygen and hydrogen fuel tanks caused the liquid hydrogen to evaporate.
^aLOX/RP-1 = liquid oxygen and modified kerosene.
LOX/LH₂ = Liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.

Titan IIIE- Centaur Characteristics

Characteristics	Stage 0 Solid Fueled Rocket Motors (2)	1st Stage Titan	2d Stage Titan	3d Stage, Centaur D-1T	Centaur Standard Shroud	Total

Height (m)	25.9	22.2	7.1	9.7	(17.7)	48.8
Diameter (m)	3.05	3.05	3.05	3.05	4.3	-
Launch weight (kg)	226 800	123 830	33 112	17 700	3092	631 334
Propulsion system:
Powerplant	United Technology 1205	Aerojet YLR87-AJ-11	Aerojet YLR91-AJ-11	Pratt & Whitney (2) RL-10A-3-3	-	-
Thrust (Kilonewtons)	10 680 (combined)	2310	449.2	133.4	-	13 550
Burn time (sec)	110	150	208	450	-	918
Propellant ^a	powdered aluminium/ammonium perchlorate	N₂H₄-UDMH/N₂O₄	N₂H₄-UDMH/N₂O₄	LH₂/LOX	-	-
Payload capacity (kg)	-	-	-	-	-	15 000 to Earth orbit 3 000 to synchronous orbit 3 400 to Mars
Origin	Air Force Titan IIID modified to NASA requirements			NASA design	-	-
Contractors	Chemical Systems Div., United Technologies	Martin Marietta Corp.		General Dynamics/Convair	-	-
Program Manager	R. A. Mattson, NASA Hq.
Project Manager	Andrew J. Stofan, Lewis Research Center
Program Use	Viking, Voyager
Remarks	In this configuration, the Centaur upper stage replaced the standard Titan third stage, called the transtage; Centaur was capable of restarting its two engines, a desirable characteristic for planetary missions. During Centaur's coast phase, 14 small hydrogen peroxide thrusters controlled attitude. When the two five-segment solid-fueled rocket motors, together known as "stage 0", were jettisoned, the Titan first stage ignited. These strap-on motors provided more than four times the thrust of the Atlas booster at liftoff.

^a N₂H₄-UDMH/N₂O₄ = hydrazine-unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide.
LH2/LOX = liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.

Atlas-Agena B Characteristics

Characteristics	1st Stage, Atlas	2d Stage, Agena B	Total With Adapter

Height (m)	21.9	7.2	30.6
Diameter (m)	3	1.5	-
Launch weight (kg)	117 780	7022	124 802
Propulsion system:
Powerplant	MA-3 propulsion system	Bell XLR-81-Ba-9 (model 8081; upgraded to 8096)	-
Thrust (Kilonewtons)	1600	71.2	1670
Propellant ^a	LOX/RP-1	IRFNA/UDMH	-
Payload capacity (kg)	-	-	2627 to Earth Orbit 340 to escape trajectory 204 to Mars or Venus
Origin	Uprated Atlas-Agena A
Contractor	- Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp (prime). - North American Aviation, Inc. (engines)	- Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. (prime) - Bell Aerospace (engine)	-
Program Use	Mariner, Ranger, and OGO
Remarks	Capable of engine restart

Atlas-Agena D Characteristics

Characteristics	1st Stage, Atlas	2d Stage, Agena B	Total With Adapter

Height (m)	21.9 23.2 (SLV-3C)	7.2	30.6 32.1 (w/SLV-3C)
Diameter (m)	3	1.5	-
Launch weight (kg)	117 780 128 879 (SLV-3C)	7248	125 028 136 127 (w/SLV-3C)
Propulsion system:
Powerplant	MA-5 propulsion system	Bell XLR-81-Ba-9 (model 8247; upgraded to 8533)	-
Thrust (Kilonewtons)	1600 1750 (SLV-3C)	71.2	1670 1820 (w/SLV-3C)
Propellant ^a	LOX/RP-1	N₂O₄/UDMH
Payload capacity (kg)	-	-	2718 to Earth Orbit 385 to escape trajectory 250 to Mars or Venus
Origin	Uprated Atlas-Agena B
Contractors	- Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp (prime). - North American Aviation, Inc. (engines)	- Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. (prime) - Bell Aerospace (engine)	-
Program Use	Mariner, OAO, Lunar Orbiter, and ATS
Remarks	The Agena D stage could accept a greater variety of payloads than could the Agena B model.

Atlas-Centaur Characteristics

Characteristics	1st Stage, Atlas SLV-3C/ Atlas SLV-3D	2d Stage, Centaur D-1A	Total

Height (m)	23.2	13 14.6 w/payload fairing	34
Diameter (m)	3.05	3.05	-
Launch weight (kg)	128 879	17 145	146 024
Propulsion system:
Powerplant	MA-5 propulsion system	Pratt & Whitney (2) RL-10	-
Thrust (Kilonewtons)	1700/1900	133.4	1890/2050
Propellant ^a	LOX/RP-1	LOX/LH₂	-
Payload capacity (kg)	-	-	3857/4536 to Earth Orbit 1225/1882 to synchronous orbit 815/907 to Mars or Venus
Origin	Air Force ICBM	General Dynamics studies for a high-energy second stage; development supported by NASA
Contractors	- General Dynamics/Convair (formerly Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp.) (prime). - North American Aviation, Inc. (engines)	- General Dynamics/Convair	-
Program Use	Surveyor, ATS, OAO, Mariner, Intelsat, Pioneer.
Remarks	Centaur, the first U.S. launch vehicle to use liquid hydrogen as a propellant, was originally scheduled for operations in the early 1960s for Mars and Venus probes. Because of delays in the vehicle's development, however, it was not ready until 1966. One of the serious problems with the stage's development was hydrogen loss; heat transfer between the oxygen and hydrogen fuel tanks caused the liquid hydrogen to evaporate.