Atlas E

SM-65E CGM-16E

Mission Profile

Atlas E (CGM-16E) was the final operational ICBM variant of the Atlas missile family and the first truly mass-deployed Atlas, configured as a semi-hardened silo-based weapon system for the United States Air Force. Standing 25.1 meters tall with a liftoff mass of approximately 118,000 kg and generating 1,630 kN of thrust, it entered operational service in 1960 and served as a strategic deterrent through the mid-1960s before being phased out. After decommissioning, surplus Atlas E airframes found a second life as satellite launch vehicles, lofting a diverse array of defense and scientific payloads well into the 1980s. The Atlas E's long operational history as both a missile and launch vehicle exemplifies the remarkable longevity of the Atlas design.