Athena II

Lockheed Launch Vehicle

Mission Profile

The Athena II (Lockheed Launch Vehicle) was a three-stage American launch vehicle in the Minuteman-derived family, a solid-fuelled commercial launcher designed for medium-class satellite delivery. Standing 28.2 m tall with a 2.4 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 120.7 tonnes, it generated 1,600 kN of first-stage thrust and could deliver 2,065 kg to low Earth orbit or 593 kg to geostationary transfer orbit. First flying in January 1998, the Athena II launched NASA's Lunar Prospector and commercial Ikonos imaging satellite before the programme was retired due to limited market demand.