Rocketdyne MA-2 Atlas D propulsion system
The integrated Rocketdyne MA-2 propulsion system used by the Atlas D (SM-65D) ICBM and its early space-launch derivatives. The exact integrated boundary is retained because the consulted primary sources establish the MA-2 system and its stage-and-a-half architecture, but do not consistently establish one component suffix set across the ICBM and Mercury installations.
Identity
- Aliases
- MA-2MA-2 drive systemAtlas D MA-2
- Domains
- spaceflight
- Identity Level
- integrated-system
- Kind
- integrated-propulsion-system
- Name
- Rocketdyne MA-2 Atlas D propulsion system
- Status
- historical
Details
- Description
- The integrated Rocketdyne MA-2 propulsion system used by the Atlas D (SM-65D) ICBM and its early space-launch derivatives. The exact integrated boundary is retained because the consulted primary sources establish the MA-2 system and its stage-and-a-half architecture, but do not consistently establish one component suffix set across the ICBM and Mercury installations.
- Propellants
- RP-1liquid oxygen
- Retirement Date
- 1965
- Service Entry Date
- 1959
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 1, 2026 at 16:56:33 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 1, 2026 at 16:56:33 UTC
Other
- Sources
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-01
- Note
- The official USAF museum identifies Atlas D as the first operational Atlas ICBM, records its 1959-1965 service window, and describes the ICBM propulsion arrangement as two Rocketdyne booster engines, one sustainer, and two vernier rockets.
- Publisher
- National Museum of the United States Air Force
- Title
- Convair SM-65 Atlas
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-01
- Note
- NASA's historical data book identifies the Atlas launch-vehicle MA propulsion boundary, the one-and-a-half-stage arrangement, and the Rocketdyne booster/sustainer/vernier architecture; the record is kept integrated rather than inventing a narrower Atlas D component suffix.
- Publisher
- NASA Technical Reports Server
- Title
- NASA Historical Data Book: Atlas launch vehicle characteristics
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-01
- Note
- The official Mercury Atlas technical notes explicitly name the Rocketdyne MA-2 system and enumerate its booster, sustainer, and vernier components, while the Atlas D display establishes the vehicle-family continuity.
- Publisher
- National Museum of the United States Air Force
- Title
- Convair LV-3B / SM-65D Atlas