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Atlas-Agena
30m
Human (1.8m)
1.8m
Atlas-Agena / Credits: Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons)
United StatesRetired1960–1978
Atlas-Agena
General Dynamics
An Atlas-derived workhorse that launched the first probes to Venus and Mars, plus the Ranger and Lunar Orbiter Moon missions.
The Atlas-Agena was an expendable launch system combining a stage-and-a-half Atlas missile first stage with an RM-81 Agena upper stage. It launched the first five Mariner probes to Venus and Mars, plus the Ranger and Lunar Orbiter lunar missions. Originally developed for the US Air Force, most of its 109 flights carried classified DoD payloads, including early reconnaissance satellites. The Agena upper stage also served as a docking target for crewed Gemini missions.
Fun facts
Launched the first successful probes to Venus and Mars (Mariner 2 and Mariner 4).
Height
30 m
Diameter
3.05 m
Mass
125 t
Stages
2
Thrust
1,670 kN
Payload LEO
1,825 kg
Payload GTO
—
Total flights
109
Success rate83.9%
89 success5 partial15 failure
Launch pads
- LC-12, Cape Canaveral
- LC-13, Cape Canaveral
- LC-14, Cape Canaveral
- SLC-3W, Vandenberg
- SLC-3E, Vandenberg
- SLC-4W, Vandenberg
- SLC-4E, Vandenberg
Leaflet © OpenStreetMap contributors
No upcoming launches scheduled.
