Questions tagged [atlas-v]
Atlas V is an expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family.
37 questions
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Did Boeing's Starliner do an inflight abort test?
Did the Starliner perform an inflight abort test? I could not find any videos to support the same. Isn't a pad abort and an in flight abort neccesary before sending humans to space? Can the starliner'...
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Atlas V RD-180 Analysis
I was tasked with researching certain properties of the RD-180 engine. I am finding contradictory information, or I am unable to find it at all.
I am looking for the following information
Mixture ...
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Why was the Atlas V's SRB kept attached for 1 minute after burnout in the OFT-2 mission?
In Boeing's OFT-2 mission, an Atlas V is the launch vehicle. The solid rocket booster burns out at T+ 1:35 minutes, but the boosters are jettisoned at T+ 2:40 minutes. Why are the boosters not ...
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Atlas V booster appearance change in flight
In the livestream of the latest Atlas V 541 flight launching the GOES-T satelite I saw that the nosecones of the two visible boosters changed the appearance within a few seconds in the flight.
Is this ...
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ULA just launched a very asymmetric Atlas V 511. Why does its plume look so asymmetric... after SRB jettison?
I've never noticed this before, so I'm asking. Shortly after SRB ejection, the RD-180 plume appears to be very asymmetric. Why is this? If I recall correctly, these are full-flow & there isn't any ...
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Technical considerations aside, could I legally purchase three CCBs from ULA and build my own Atlas V Heavy?
We all know and mourn that the Atlas V will never fly in a three-core configuration. What, if anything, prevents me from legally purchasing three CCBs and launching my own Atlas V Heavy, provided I ...
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Does RUAG Space recover and reuse Ariane 5 and Atlas V payload fairings after splashdown?
RUAG Space is the company that manufactures payload fairings for the Ariane, Vega, Atlas V (500 series) and the upcoming Vulcan.
Back when Spacex started trying to catch the fairing without it hitting ...
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How long do we have contact with a centaur after launch
When centaur separates the payload, we can see a video signal of this happening. The mission of centaur is completed now, but are there still some activities centaur is performing after seperation? ...
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What's the story behind the GEM-63 delay?
The Wikipedia page on the GEM-63 says that the Atlas V will start using it "in July 2019." But the Atlas V page says that the switch from the AJ-60A will happen "in the near future." That the switch ...
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How did the Starliner get the wrong time?
According to NASA's blog, one of the problems with the failed Starliner mission was
An error with the Mission Elapsed Timer (MET), which incorrectly polled time from the Atlas V booster nearly 11 ...
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Out of which alloys are the Common Core Booster and Common Booster Core propellent tanks manufactured?
All sources that I can find indicate that they are isogrid (or possibly orthogrid?) structural tanks manufactured of milled aluminum. However, I cannot find further detail about of which alloy ...
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How does the solid rocket booster jettison system work on an Atlas V?
Is safe booster separation (they call it "jettison") without recontact assured by separation motors, pushers, or what?
The Juno Mission Overview refers to "structural thrusters" but that means ...
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Discrepancy between Launch Vehicle Performance website on Atlas V 551 with Juno
I was looking at the Juno space probe which was launched in August 2011 onboard an Atlas V 551. In particular I was looking at https://elvperf.ksc.nasa.gov/Pages/News.aspx and using the performance ...
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On large diameter Atlas V fairings, why is the Centaur inside the fairing?
When including an image in an answer to this question: Was New Horizons launched on a copper rocket? I noticed that for the larger diameter fairings (Atlas 501 and up) the Centaur upper stage is ...
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What is the Oxidiser/Fuel Ratio of the Atlas V Centaur Upper Stage?
I can't find this information anywhere for the single or double engine variant. could it be variable? Or is it a secret?
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What happened to the Atlas IV?
I was recently reading up on the Atlas rocket family, and I noticed that for some reason the numbering went from the Atlas 3 straight to the Atlas 5.
Why did they skip number 4?
I am familiar enough ...
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InSight Launch - Centaur Fuel Rich
During the launch of InSight today one thing sprung out to me: at T+408s the voiceover announces:
Centaur slightly fuel rich.
And again at ...
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Is it feasible to launch NASA's InSight mission Mars using a Falcon 9, instead of an Atlas V rocket?
The Insight mission is launching the spacecraft to Mars on May 5th aboard the Atlas V rocket by ULA.
Would it have been possible to launch this mission using a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 3/4/5 (expendable ...
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Why can't Falcon Heavy accelerate deep space payloads as fast as Atlas V and Delta Heavy?
A Falcon Heavy with an expendable core costs $95M and lifts 2.5x as much to GTO as the Atlas V. It's Pluto injection orbit payload is nearly half of the Atlas V's GTO payload. In the answer to this ...
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How much will Europa Clipper weigh?
I realize that NASA will have to change Europa Clipper's loadout based on whether they are launching on the SLS 1b or the Atlas 5 backup, but does anyone know what those two mission masses will be, ...
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What is the source of the 'whoop' sound made before the liftoff (T-3s) of Atlas-V rocket?
For reference, you can hear the distinct 'whoop' sound at T minus 3 seconds mark of the recent TDRS-M launch. This sound has been distinctive for most previous Atlas-V launches as far as I can ...
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What are these 'Lego' plates inside the Atlas 5 fairing? [duplicate]
My local engineering newspaper has an article on the X-37B craft, with an image displaying the craft within half of the shell that encapsulates it. The shell has a number of plates arranged on its ...
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Why are some rockets orange?
After many successful launches with the Delta II, ULA made the Delta IV rocket orange. What's the reason for this strange color change?
Also the Atlas V's first stage is orange, is there any ...
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How does Atlas V maintain stable flight with asymmetric solid rocket boosters?
While watching a launch of an Atlas V, I couldn't help but notice that the boosters were positioned asymmetrically. There was one booster on one side of the rocket, and two boosters on the other side.
...
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Why was OSIRIS-REx almost destroyed because of a loss of pressure following the SpaceX "fast fire"?
In the news item on the website of ABC's affiliate station WFTV in Florida Official: SpaceX explosion nearly destroyed asteroid-seeking OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, there is discussion of a loss of pressure ...
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Why do the shapes of these two exhaust plumes from an Atlas V 411 look different?
The Atlas V 411 configuration is interesting because there is a single SRB on one side of the first stage, requiring the main engines to vector substantially to keep the thrust mostly axial.
The ...
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What is the meaning of "BODA"?
What is the meaning of the acronym BODA as used in an Atlas V launch, specifically the Juno launch in 2011?
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What are the advantages of Delta IV over Atlas V
I have read many times that the Delta IV is more expensive to launch than the Atlas V. Outside of the Delta IV Heavy configuration, which is in a class by itself for certain payloads and missions, are ...
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Were composite materials used on Soyuz and on Atlas launchers?
I would like to know if composite materials were used on Soyuz and Atlas launchers but I can't find a lot on the web.
I also would like to know which components of other launchers are made of ...
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What does the US Govt get out of its Assured Access funding of ULA?
ULA gets a so called subsidy (currently purported to be $800 million a year, since it is being considered to be cancelled) for Assured Access to space.
Their lack of a bid on the GPS3 launch contract ...
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Technical reasons for Delta 4 medium phase out
This news item quotes Elon Musk as saying
it would make sense for the government to rely on ULA's Delta 4 and the SpaceX Falcon 9, phasing out the venerable Atlas 5.
"You don't need both of ...
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What's the thickness and weight of rocket tanks?
I found it quite fascinating that the Shuttle External Tank was as thin as 2.5mm. That seems very thin for a structure over 40 meters tall and weighing as much as 760 000kg fueled.
I'm curious how ...
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Why does Atlas V have so many different types of payload fairings?
So I was curious about why the Atlas V rocket has so many versions, with three-digit designators like "401" and "551". The obvious differentiator is the number of solid rocket boosters you can add to ...
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What was the thrust-to-weight ratio during liftoff of the Atlas V OA-4 launch?
It seemed to me that today's (Dec. 6, 2015) launch of ULA's Atlas V carrying Orbital ATK's Cygnus spacecraft in orbit and towards the International Space Station on the OA-4 mission had a particularly ...
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How do the secondary payload abilities of different launchers compare?
ULA with their Atlas V seems to be the leading launch service provider for secondary payloads. This FISO presentation is convincing anyway. And good for them since miniaturization of satellites ...
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What is the object protruding from the left side of the payload fairing during ULA Atlas V 501 AFSPC-5 launch?
OK, What is it?
I have not noticed it on previous launches. It's also visible in AFSPC-5 launch videos, for example in this one:
And it also comes into view ...
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What was RD-180 used in, before Atlas III/V?
At NasaSpaceFlight.com, Chris Gerbhart writes:
The RD-180 has provided exceptional performance to the Atlas V and was chosen to be the engine of the first stage in no small part because of its ...
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