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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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First Mercury-Atlas Attempted Launch
Title
First Mercury-Atlas Attempted Launch
Title
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Full Description:
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An Atlas vehicle is shown as it is raised into its launch gantry. This Atlas attempted to launch a Mercury spacecraft (without any astronauts aboard) into orbital flight. The launch vehicle developed 360,000 pounds of thrust and burned RP-1, a kerosene-like fuel, and liquid oxygen. It was about 60 feet in length and 10 feet in diameter at the tank section. This was the first attempt by NASA to put a Mercury spacecraft into Earth 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 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
An Atlas vehicle is shown as it is raised into its launch gantry. This Atlas attempted to launch a Mercury spacecraft (without any astronauts aboard) into orbital flight. The launch vehicle developed 360,000 pounds of thrust and burned RP-1, a kerosene-like fuel, and liquid oxygen. It was about 60 feet in length and 10 feet in diameter at the tank section. This was the first attempt by NASA to put a Mercury spacecraft into Earth 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 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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Headquarters
NASA_Center
Headquarters
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- MA3-3
Keywords
61- MA3-3
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_what:
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Mercury Atlas
facet_what
Mercury Atlas
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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Kentucky
facet_where
Kentucky
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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Mercury-Atlas
Image_#
Mercury-Atlas
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-2003-00 039
UID
SPD-GRIN-GPN-2003-00 039
UID
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Center:
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HQ
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Center Number:
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Mercury-Atlas
Center_Number
Mercury-Atlas
Center Number
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GRIN DataBase Number:
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GPN-2003-00039
GRIN_DataBase_Number
GPN-2003-00039
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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