Atlas V 421
United Launch Alliance
Details
Height
58.3 m
Diameter
3.8 m
GTO
6,890 kg
LEO
14,067 kg
Thrust at Liftoff
Unknown
Apogee
40,000 km
Launch Cost
$123M
Maiden Flight
October 11, 2007
Description
Atlas V is an expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. It was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin and is now operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture with Boeing. Each Atlas V rocket uses a Russian-built RD-180 engine burning kerosene and liquid oxygen to power its first stage and an American-built RL10 engine burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to power its Centaur upper stage. The RD-180 engines are provided by RD Amross, while Aerojet Rocketdyne provides both the RL10 engines and the strap-on boosters used in some configurations. The 421 version uses a 4m wide fairing, 2 solid rocket boosters and one engine on the Centaur stage.