Atlas V Phase 2B Heavy

EELV Phase 2B

Mission Profile

The Atlas V Phase 2B Heavy was an early concept for a heavy-lift variant of the Atlas V studied around 2000 as part of the U.S. Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, exploring a clustered booster configuration that would exceed the capability of the standard Atlas V lineup. Proposed with a 58.3 m height and 3.8 m diameter core and a two-stage configuration, this concept would have used additional strap-on elements to create a heavy-lift payload capacity. Though this specific heavy variant was not developed, the studies informed the eventual design of ULA's Atlas V Heavy proposals and contributed to understanding the platform's maximum performance envelope.