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Atlas V's Maiden Launch a Success

Posted by michael on from the who-cares-where-they-come-down dept.

PyroMosh writes "The next generation expendable heavy lifting rocket, the Atlas 5, lifted off today from Cape Canaveral Air Station. The American rocket, built by Lockheed Martin, sporting Russian RD-180 engines carried the Eutelsat Hotbird 6 telecommunications satellite into orbit. This next generation heavy lifter can out-lift any rocket built since the Saturn V 'Moon rocket', including the shuttle." Spaceflightnow has extensive coverage.

3 of 155 comments (clear)

  1. The only good part about living in Orlando... by drunkmonk · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ... is being able to walk about to your backyard and watch launches. It happened on our first not-rainy afternoon in quite a while and was beautiful. Not quite like the Shuttle beautiful, but beautiful nonetheless.

    To me, air flight doesn't seem very special anymore because it is so common... but I don't think I'll stop watching the rockets, even if it does become an everyday occurence...

  2. An interesting tidbit about the RD-180 by MtViewGuy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    From what I've read, the RD-180 is essentially an uprated version of the RD-170 rocket that was designed for the now-shelved Energia rocket.

    Here's an interesting tidbit: the Russians literally fooled everyone about the location of the rocket motor factory and rocket motor test stands! Normally in Western practice, we would put the test stands for rocket motors far away from population centers (Aerojet, Rocketdyne, etc. have their test stands built in these locations due to the loud noise and huge exhaust plumes of rocket motors in general). Well, the Russians carefully built a rocket motor factory and rocket test stand in a Moscow suburb, using an ingenious design that effectively muffled the engine noise and dissipated the exhaust plumes; it was so well-designed that on first inspection visually you'd think it was just another of the many factories that surround Moscow! No wonder why Western intelligence agencies were puzzled about the lack of rocket motor test stands near their launch sites in Baikanour and Pletesk, because we were looking in all the wrong locations. I believe this factory is where the RD-180 rocket is currently being assembled.

  3. Not a "Heavy Lifter": Exaggerated payload claims by tlambert · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The claims about this being the heaviest lift rocket "since the Saturn V" are exaggerated. The Saturn V had over 12 times the payload capacity of the top end Atlas 5 (which hasn't actually flown, yet).

    Comparatively, the top end Russian heavy lifter is very nearly the equal of the Saturn V (the Saturn V could lift 2% more weight, assuming we could even build one again).

    Here are various payload capacities for all the Atlas 5 series, and a number of other currently in service rockets, as well as the Saturn V, in US pounds:

    __8,752 Atlas 5 501
    _11,618 Atlas 5 511
    _13,117 Atlas 5 411
    _13,856 Atlas 5 521
    _15,057 Atlas 5 421
    _15,873 Atlas 5 531
    _16,843 Atlas 5 431
    _17,593 Atlas 5 541
    _19,114 Atlas 5 551
    _28,950 Delta IV
    _39,600 Ariane V
    _45,320 Proton K
    _47,800 Titan IV
    _63,500 Space Shuttle
    231,000 Energia SL17
    236,000 Saturn V

    Looks like if you're planning a 1969-style trip to the moon, you better learn Russian... it also explains just what it is the Russians bring to the ISS that the U.S. could not provide on their own (since the U.S. would have a difficult time even building anything close these days).

    Sorry: I don't have numbers on the Chinese or Japanese launch vehicles.

    -- Terry