Atlas A

XB-65A SM-65A MX-1593

Mission Profile

The Atlas A (XB-65A, SM-65A, MX-1593) was a single-stage American test vehicle in the Atlas family, the first flight test variant of the Atlas ICBM developed under the Atlas ICBM Program. Standing 22.9 m tall with a 3.1 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 103 tonnes, it generated 1,630 kN of liftoff thrust. First flying in June 1957, the Atlas A was used for propulsion and structural testing without sustainer engines, achieving only partial flight profiles as engineers validated the "balloon tank" stainless steel airframe that would define the Atlas series.