Author Description

This study addresses ATLAS and TITAN programs, ATLAS V facility improvements, and individual missions involving ATLAS and TITAN space launches at Cape Canaveral from 1993 through 2006. The section entitled, "The Lockheed Martin Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Program," provides a brief overview of government and contractor efforts that led to ATLAS V operations on Complex 41 at the Cape. Other sections address the deactivation and demolition of Complex 36, ATLAS V construction on Complex 41, descriptions of the various types of launch vehicles, a chronological list of 101 major launches, and individual mission summaries. The mission summaries are grouped by type of vehicle, and they are listed chronologically under three subjective headings: 1) Military Space Operations, 2) Commercial Space Operations, and 3) Civil Space Operations. Since NASA, the Air Force, and the Navy use commercial launch contractors to put their payloads into space, there has been some confusion over just what constitutes a civil, military or commercial launch operation. For our purposes, the sponsor of the mission (Air Force, Navy, NASA or commercial company) will determine where its launch summary is placed. Each launch entry contains a brief synopsis of the mission. Highlights of the preparations for each flight and the launch itself, including delays, scrubs, incidents, and the outcome of the flight, are included. The ATLAS and TITAN Launch Synopsis at the end of this study lists all the launches in chronological order by date (calculated in Greenwich Mean Time - indicated by a "Z" suffix at the end of each time entry), type of launch vehicle, launch site, and payload. Each launch summary and topic is hyperlinked in the Table of Contents and Launch Synopsis for ease of retrieval. ATLAS I/CENTAUR and ATLAS II/CENTAUR Overview * ATLAS I/CENTAUR and ATLAS II/CENTAUR Military Space Operations * UHF F/O #1; DSCS III (Jul 93); UHF F/O #2; DSCS III (Nov 93); UHF F/O #3; EHF F/O #4; EHF F