Atlas LV3 Agena D

Mission Profile

Atlas LV3 Agena D was a two-stage American launch vehicle combining the Atlas core with the Agena D upper stage, which featured a restartable engine capable of multiple burns on orbit to precisely place satellites in diverse trajectories. Standing 28.7 meters tall with a liftoff mass of approximately 120,000 kg and generating 1,880 kN of thrust, it was one of the primary workhorses for U.S. government space operations during the 1960s. Entering service in July 1963, it supported critical military reconnaissance missions including the Corona satellite program, as well as NASA planetary science missions, making it one of the most significant launch vehicles of the early Space Age.