Commercial Atlas/Centaur program
Abstract
The current status of the Atlas/Centaur program is examined, taking into account launch history, launch vehicle performance, and current flight schedule. Attention is given to the communications satellite market, changes regarding the environment of space launch vehicles, the Atlas/Centaur record, Atlas G/Centaur, the Atlas/Centaur family, spacecraft fairing and envelopes, commercialization activities, and the benefits of a commercial Atlas/Centaur program. It is pointed out that the existence of a viable commercial Atlas/Centaur program provides an alternate or backup launch capability to the Space Shuttle at no additional cost to the government. Such a program will result in the maintenance of the existing production and launch facilities, which would otherwise become unusable.
- Publication:
-
Budapest International Astronautical Federation Congress
- Pub Date:
- October 1983
- Bibcode:
- 1983buda.iafcQ....C
- Keywords:
-
- Atlas Centaur Launch Vehicle;
- Communication Satellites;
- Spacecraft Launching;
- Aerospace Industry;
- Government/Industry Relations;
- Marketing;
- Payload Mass Ratio;
- Space Commercialization;
- Spacecraft Performance;
- Launch Vehicles and Space Vehicles