NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

Atlas LV-3B

10FLIGHTS

70%SUCCESS

3FAILURES

6STREAK

Jul 1960FIRST FLIGHT

NOREUSABLE

HEIGHT28.7 m

DIAMETER3 m

LAUNCH MASS120 kg

LIFTOFF THRUST1,300 kN

STAGES1

ABOUT ATLAS LV-3B

The Atlas LV-3B, Atlas D Mercury Launch Vehicle or Mercury-Atlas Launch Vehicle, was a human-rated expendable launch system used as part of the United States Project Mercury to send astronauts into low Earth orbit. Manufactured by American aircraft manufacturing company Convair, it was derived from the SM-65D Atlas missile, and was a member of the Atlas family of rockets.

PAYLOAD CAPACITY

1,360 kg

TO LEO

2,999 lbs

LIFTOFF THRUST

1,300

KILONEWTONS

292,252

POUNDS-FORCE

~1,743

HORSEPOWER

DIMENSIONS