# Atlas I

> American expendable launch system

**Wikidata**: [Q22978](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q22978)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_I)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/atlas-i-q22978

## Summary
Atlas I was an American expendable launch system developed by Convair as part of the Atlas family of rockets. It was designed to launch satellites into orbit and served as a commercial launch vehicle in the 1990s.

## Key Facts
- Atlas I was manufactured by Convair, a division of General Dynamics
- It was a member of the Atlas family of American missiles and space launch vehicles
- The rocket was used to launch various satellites including GOES-10, BeppoSAX, CRRES, GOES-9, GOES-8, BS-3H, and Galaxy 5
- Atlas I was an expendable launch system, meaning it was designed for single use
- The rocket had a sitelink count of 15 across Wikipedia language editions
- It was classified as a rocket model and subclass of the Atlas family
- The country of origin for Atlas I was the United States

### Q: What was Atlas I used for?
A: Atlas I was an expendable launch system used to launch satellites into orbit, including weather satellites, communications satellites, and scientific research satellites.

### Q: Who manufactured Atlas I?
A: Atlas I was manufactured by Convair, which was a division of General Dynamics at the time.

### Q: What type of rocket was Atlas I?
A: Atlas I was a rocket model that was classified as a subclass of the Atlas family of American missiles and space launch vehicles.

### Q: When was Atlas I operational?
A: Atlas I was operational in the 1990s as a commercial launch vehicle for satellite deployment.

### Q: What satellites were launched by Atlas I?
A: Atlas I launched several satellites including GOES-10, BeppoSAX, CRRES, GOES-9, GOES-8, BS-3H, and Galaxy 5.

## Why It Matters
Atlas I represented an important evolution in the Atlas rocket family, serving as a commercial launch vehicle that bridged military and civilian space applications. As an expendable launch system, it provided reliable access to space for various satellite missions, including critical weather monitoring, scientific research, and communications infrastructure. The Atlas I's ability to launch diverse payloads demonstrated the versatility of the Atlas platform and contributed to the United States' capabilities in space launch services during the 1990s. Its development and use reflected the growing commercialization of space launch services and the increasing demand for dedicated satellite deployment capabilities.

## Notable For
- Being part of the historic Atlas family of American missiles and space launch vehicles
- Serving as a commercial launch vehicle for diverse satellite missions
- Launching important weather satellites like GOES-10 and GOES-9
- Supporting scientific missions including the BeppoSAX X-ray astronomy satellite
- Representing the evolution of expendable launch systems for commercial space applications

## Body
### Development and Design
Atlas I was developed by Convair as a commercial variant of the Atlas rocket family. It incorporated design elements from previous Atlas models while being optimized for commercial satellite launches. The rocket was part of the broader Atlas family, which has a long history in American space and missile development.

### Launch Capabilities
As an expendable launch system, Atlas I was designed for single-use missions to deploy satellites into various orbits. The rocket's design allowed it to handle different payload types and mission requirements, making it versatile for commercial launch services.

### Satellite Missions
Atlas I was used to launch a variety of important satellites:
- GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) weather satellites for NOAA
- BeppoSAX, an Italian-Dutch X-ray astronomy satellite
- CRRES, a NASA satellite for chemical release studies
- Communications satellites like Galaxy 5
- BS-3H, a Japanese broadcasting satellite (though this launch failed)

### Technical Classification
The rocket was classified as a rocket model and specifically as a subclass of the Atlas family. This classification reflects its heritage and design lineage within the broader Atlas rocket development program.

### Commercial Operations
Atlas I represented the commercialization of the Atlas rocket technology, providing launch services to both government agencies and private companies. This transition to commercial operations marked an important phase in the evolution of space launch services in the United States.

## Schema Markup
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  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Atlas I",
  "description": "American expendable launch system developed by Convair as part of the Atlas family of rockets",
  "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_I",
  "sameAs": ["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q328"],
  "additionalType": "Rocket Model"
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## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013