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Collection:
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NASA Great Images in Nasa Collection
Collection
NASA Great Images in Nasa Collection
Collection
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Title:
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Unloading Atlas Launch Vehicle
Title
Unloading Atlas Launch Vehicle
Title
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Full Description:
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The Atlas launch vehicle is shown being unloaded at Cape Canaveral, Florida. This vehicle was expected to launch a Mercury spacecraft (without any astronauts aboard), built by McDonnell Aircraft Corp., into orbit. The Atlas attempted to place the Mercury spacecraft into its first orbital flight. The spacecraft was supposed to be launched in an orbital flight path and reentry was to be initiated about 90 minutes later as the craft neared the end of the first orbit. Unfortunately, this Atlas exploded at launch. Atlas was designed to launch payloads into low Earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. NASA first launched Atlas as a space launch vehicle in 1958. Project SCORE, the first communications satellite that transmitted President Eisenhower's pre-recorded Christmas speech around the world, was launched on an Atlas. For all three robotic lunar exploration programs, Atlas was used. Atlas/ Centaur vehicles launched both Mariner and Pioneer planetary probes. The current operational Atlas II family has a 100% mission success rating. For more information about Atlas, please see Chapter 2 in Roger Launius and Dennis Jenkins' book To Reach the High Frontier published by The University Press of Kentucky in 2002.
Full_Description
The Atlas launch vehicle is shown being unloaded at Cape Canaveral, Florida. This vehicle was expected to launch a Mercury spacecraft (without any astronauts aboard), built by McDonnell Aircraft Corp., into orbit. The Atlas attempted to place the Mercury spacecraft into its first orbital flight. The spacecraft was supposed to be launched in an orbital flight path and reentry was to be initiated about 90 minutes later as the craft neared the end of the first orbit. Unfortunately, this Atlas exploded at launch. Atlas was designed to launch payloads into low Earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. NASA first launched Atlas as a space launch vehicle in 1958. Project SCORE, the first communications satellite that transmitted President Eisenhower's pre-recorded Christmas speech around the world, was launched on an Atlas. For all three robotic lunar exploration programs, Atlas was used. Atlas/ Centaur vehicles launched both Mariner and Pioneer planetary probes. The current operational Atlas II family has a 100% mission success rating. For more information about Atlas, please see Chapter 2 in Roger Launius and Dennis Jenkins' book To Reach the High Frontier published by The University Press of Kentucky in 2002.
Full Description
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Date:
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04/23/1961
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NASA Center:
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Kennedy Space Center
NASA_Center
Kennedy Space Center
NASA Center
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Subject Category:
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Atlas
Subject_Category
Atlas
Subject Category
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Keywords:
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Mercury
Keywords
Mercury
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Atlas
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Keywords:
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Eisenhower
Keywords
Eisenhower
Keywords
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Keywords:
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launch
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Keywords:
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vehicle
Keywords
vehicle
Keywords
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Keywords:
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SCORE
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Keywords:
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communications,
Keywords
communications,
Keywords
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Keywords:
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61- MA3-1
Keywords
61- MA3-1
Keywords
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Audience:
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General Public
Audience
General Public
Audience
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facet_what:
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Earth
facet_what
Earth
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mercury
facet_what
Mercury
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Centaur
facet_what
Centaur
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Atlas
facet_what
Atlas
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mariner
facet_what
Mariner
facet_what
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facet_what:
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SCORE
facet_what
SCORE
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Mercury
facet_where
Mercury
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Florida
facet_where
Florida
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Kentucky
facet_where
Kentucky
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
facet_where
Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
facet_where
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facet_when:
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1958
facet_when
1958
facet_when
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facet_when:
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2002
facet_when
2002
facet_when
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facet_when:
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04-23-1961
facet_when
04-23-1961
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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1961
facet_when_year
1961
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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1958
facet_when_year
1958
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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2002
facet_when_year
2002
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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GroundAtlas
Image_#
GroundAtlas
Image #
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original_url:
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original_url
original_url
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UID:
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SPD-GRIN-GPN-2003-00 041
UID
SPD-GRIN-GPN-2003-00 041
UID
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Center:
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KSC
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Center Number:
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GroundAtlas
Center_Number
GroundAtlas
Center Number
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GRIN DataBase Number:
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GPN-2003-00041
GRIN_DataBase_Number
GPN-2003-00041
GRIN DataBase Number
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Creator-Photographer:
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NASA
Creator-Photographer
NASA
Creator-Photographer
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Original Source:
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NASA
Original_Source
NASA
Original Source
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