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Atlas-Able Lunar Launch Vehicle

Atlas-Able was a NASA lunar-launch configuration that combined an Atlas D first-stage system with Able and solid upper stages derived from the Vanguard and Thor-Able programs. Three attempts from 1959 to 1960 carried increasingly refined Pioneer lunar orbiters, but fairing failure, upper-stage propulsion failure, and premature upper-stage ignition prevented all three missions from reaching space or the Moon.

Atlas-Able Lunar Launch Vehicle
NASA/Bill Ingalls · Stored/public JPEG is byte-identical to the NASA canonical 201108050008HQ large asset (1279x1920, SHA-256 54592683e90ae091eefed5173f1276a07ae2326599475516c32c208dbfd60e1c). NASA Images API metadata identifies the exact image as Atlas V Rocket Launches with Juno Spacecraft, photographed by NASA/Bill Ingalls, and describes the Atlas V/Juno launch from Space Launch Complex 41 on August 5, 2011. NASA current Images and Media Usage Guidelines state that NASA content may be used factually or informationally with NASA acknowledged, while NASA-hosted third-party content is marked and NASA use does not convey rights; commercial use must not imply endorsement and NASA logos and identifiers remain protected: https://www.nasa.gov/nasa-brand-center/images-and-media/. This is an asset-level, conservative factual/editorial reuse basis with NASA/Bill Ingalls attribution, not a blanket license for promotional content, merchandise, NASA branding, or endorsement. · Source
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Identity

Aliases
Atlas AbleAtlas/Able
Family Name
Atlas-Able
Full Name
Atlas-Able Lunar Launch Vehicle
Status
retired
Type
rocket

Details

Description
Atlas-Able was a NASA lunar-launch configuration that combined an Atlas D first-stage system with Able and solid upper stages derived from the Vanguard and Thor-Able programs. Three attempts from 1959 to 1960 carried increasingly refined Pioneer lunar orbiters, but fairing failure, upper-stage propulsion failure, and premature upper-stage ignition prevented all three missions from reaching space or the Moon.
Dimensions
Diameter M
3.05
First Flight Year
1,959
Last Flight Year
1,960
Operator
Parent Vehicle Family
Propulsion Configurations
  • Entries
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
Rocket Specs
Reusability
expendable

Links

Official Url
https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_monograph24.pdf

Assets & Meta

Creation Time
July 13, 2026 at 12:59:01 UTC
Updated Time
July 29, 2026 at 15:34:33 UTC
Image
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Search Name
Atlas-Able Lunar Launch Vehicle Atlas Able Atlas/Able