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D.2 Atlas Launch and Performance History Atlas space-launch vehicles, originally manufactured by General Dynamics and currently by Lockheed Martin, derived from the Atlas ICBM series developed in the 1950s. The primary one-and-one-half-stage vehicle played a major role in early lunar exploration activities (the unmanned Ranger, Lunar Orbiter, and Surveyor programs), and planetary probes (Mariner and Pioneer). Table 40 shows a summary of Atlas configurations since the beginning of the program.[1°1 Table 40. Summarv of Atlas Vehicle Configurations onfiguration scription A ICBM single-stage test vehicle B,C ICBM 1 ½-stage test vehicle D ICBM and later space-launch vehicle E,F First an ICBM (1960), then a reentry test vehicle (1964), then a space-launch vehicle (1968) LV-3A Same as D except Agena upper stage LV-3B Same as D except man-rated for Project Mercury SLV-3 Same as L V-3A except reliabilitv improvements SLV-3A Same as SLV-3 except stretched 117 inches LV-3C Integrated with Centaur D upper stage SLV-3C Same as LV-3C except stretched 51 inches SLV-3D Same as SLV-3C except Centaur uprated to D-lA and Atlas electronics integrated with Centaur (no longer radio guided) G Same as SLV-3D but Atlas stretched 81 inches H Same as SLV-3D except with E/F avionics and no Centaur I Same as G except strengthened for 14-ft payload fairing, ring laser gyro added II Same as I except Atlas stretched 108 inches, engines uprated, hydrazine roll-control added, verniers deleted, Centaur stretched 36 inches IIA IIAS Same as II except Centaur RL-l0s engines uprated to 20K lbs thrust and 6.5 seconds lsp increase from extendible RL-10 nozzles Same as IIA except 4 Castor IVA strap-on SRMs added Atlas A, B, and C were developmental ICBMs. Atlas D, E, and F configurations were deployed as operational ICBMs during the 1960s. During that time, some Atlas Ds were modified as space-launch vehicles in the L V series: LV-3A, 3B, and· 3C. The Standardized Launch Vehicle (SLV) series derived from a need to reduce lead times in transforming Atlas missiles to space-launch vehicles. The SLV series began with the SLV-3 vehicle, which used an Agena upper stage. The G and H vehicles evolved from the SLV series. Eventually the I, II, IIA, and IIAS configurations were developed with the aim of also supporting commercial launches. 9/10/96 101 RT!