Last Few Launches of the Atlas V

[brockrwood]

The Atlas V. A reliable way to get into space. Year after year. Its time is finally coming to a close.

A Mercury Atlas rocket put John Glenn into orbit.

https://www.iflscience.com/atlas-v-...urity-mission-launches-today-watch-here-75322

 

[Daddyisabar]

No more motors at discount prices from Putin the Great. No more sweet sweet profit margins and short term bonus packages. I'm always looking for discounted rocket motors and it is a bummer when you can't find them. Bye bye Atlas, we will miss you. Only to be seen in toy form at a launch near you.

 

[brockrwood]

No more motors at discount prices from Putin the Great. No more sweet sweet profit margins and short term bonus packages. I'm always looking for discounted rocket motors and it is a bummer when you can't find them. Bye bye Atlas, we will miss you. Only to be seen in toy form at a launch near you.

True all of what you said. The RD-180 engine is a rugged, proven performer. Since it works so well, I wonder why a western aerospace company doesn’t just start making shameless copies of it? When the Soviets found a piece of western technology they liked, they had no qualms making shameless copies of it.

 

[cls]

Aerojet was asked about making RD180/181 copies; I think they were too expensive.

my favorite Atlas V launch was New Horizons. that thing just **** n git! fastest launch speed ever, direct out of orbit, none of this parking orbit second stage Hohmann bs. past the moon, slingshot around Jupiter, all the way.

wow, our solar system is really big. I feel humble.

 

[Antares JS]

A Mercury Atlas rocket put John Glenn into orbit.

There is no commonality between the Atlas-D and Atlas V except the brand name.

Aerojet was asked about making RD180/181 copies; I think they were too expensive.

Aerojet was licensed to reverse engineer the RD-180, but started on the project too late. The big players were already looking to move on to methane by the time the AR-1 had serious prospects of being completed.

 

[fyrwrxz]

Go Atlas! I will miss them/it/her; paid the bills for a while. Have the jacket celebrating the last E bird we converted for research from the old ICBM silos fired out of Vandenberg. My kids delight in pointing out I'm so old stuff I made is in museums. Shuttles, too, dammit!