Atlas C

XB-65C SM-65C

Mission Profile

The Atlas C was an early variant of the Atlas ICBM family, developed as part of the United States' first operational intercontinental ballistic missile program and designated XB-65C and SM-65C. Standing 25.2 m tall with a 3.1 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 118 tonnes, it employed a unique stage-and-a-half propulsion system generating 1,630 kN of thrust. First flying in December 1958 under the Atlas ICBM Program, the Atlas C served as a critical test vehicle that validated the technologies enabling both the operational ICBM fleet and the subsequent Atlas space launch vehicles.