# Atlas Centaur-D

> model of American expendable launch vehicle

**Wikidata**: [Q109659498](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q109659498)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/atlas-centaur-d

## Summary
Atlas Centaur-D was a model of American expendable launch vehicle developed by NASA and used primarily for lunar exploration missions in the mid-1960s. It combined an Atlas booster with a Centaur upper stage to deliver payloads to the Moon.

## Key Facts
- First launched on August 11, 1965, and retired on July 14, 1967
- Gross weight of 136,100 kilograms (300,000 pounds)
- Height of 33.0 meters (108 feet)
- Diameter of 3.05 meters (10 feet)
- Payload capacity of 1,700 kilograms to low Earth orbit or geostationary transfer orbit
- Used to launch the Surveyor lunar landers (Surveyor 1, 2, 3, and 4)
- Part of the Atlas Centaur LV-3C series of launch vehicles
- Manufactured in the United States

### Q: What was the Atlas Centaur-D used for?
A: The Atlas Centaur-D was primarily used to launch NASA's Surveyor lunar landers to explore the Moon's surface in preparation for the Apollo missions.

### Q: How powerful was the Atlas Centaur-D?
A: The Atlas Centaur-D could carry 1,700 kilograms to low Earth orbit or geostationary transfer orbit, with a total vehicle weight of 136,100 kilograms and a height of 33 meters.

### Q: When was the Atlas Centaur-D operational?
A: The Atlas Centaur-D was operational from August 11, 1965, to July 14, 1967, a service period of approximately two years.

## Why It Matters
The Atlas Centaur-D played a crucial role in NASA's early lunar exploration program during the Space Race. As the launch vehicle for the Surveyor missions, it enabled the United States to achieve the first soft landings on the Moon and gather critical data about the lunar surface. This information proved essential for the success of the Apollo program, as it helped engineers and scientists understand the Moon's composition, terrain, and potential landing hazards. The Atlas Centaur-D represented an important technological step in developing reliable lunar transportation systems and demonstrated the capability to deliver payloads across the vast distance to the Moon. Its successful missions helped build confidence in NASA's ability to meet President Kennedy's goal of landing humans on the Moon before the end of the 1960s.

## Notable For
- First launch vehicle to successfully deliver multiple spacecraft to the Moon's surface
- Enabled the Surveyor program's soft lunar landings, a critical precursor to Apollo
- Represented a major advancement in cryogenic upper stage technology with the Centaur
- Provided the United States with reliable access to lunar trajectories during the Space Race
- Served as a bridge technology between early Atlas launches and later, more powerful launch vehicles

## Body
### Technical Specifications
The Atlas Centaur-D was a three-stage expendable launch vehicle consisting of an Atlas MA-2 booster (stage 0), an SM-65D Atlas sustainer (stage 1), and a Centaur upper stage (stage 2). The vehicle stood 33.0 meters tall with a diameter of 3.05 meters. Its total mass at liftoff was 136,100 kilograms.

### Mission History
The Atlas Centaur-D launched four Surveyor missions between 1966 and 1967. Surveyor 1 successfully soft-landed on the Moon on June 2, 1966, becoming the first American spacecraft to achieve this feat. Surveyor 2 was launched on September 20, 1966, but failed to achieve a soft landing. Surveyor 3 successfully landed on April 20, 1967, and Surveyor 4 was launched on July 14, 1967, the same day the Atlas Centaur-D was retired from service.

### Development and Legacy
The Atlas Centaur-D represented the maturation of cryogenic upper stage technology, using liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in the Centaur stage. This technology would become foundational for later NASA missions, including the Saturn V's S-IVB stage and future Centaur variants. The vehicle's success in delivering payloads to the Moon demonstrated the reliability needed for more ambitious missions and contributed to the technological foundation that made the Apollo lunar landings possible.

## Schema Markup
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  "name": "Atlas Centaur-D",
  "description": "Model of American expendable launch vehicle used for lunar exploration missions in the mid-1960s",
  "url": "http://www.astronautix.com/a/atlascentaurd.html",
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## References

1. [Source](http://www.astronautix.com/a/atlascentaurd.html)