Atlas V 501

EELV

Mission Profile

The Atlas V 501 is a two-stage American launch vehicle in the Atlas family, a configuration with no solid rocket boosters and a 5 m diameter payload fairing under the EELV programme. Standing 58.3 m tall with a 3.8 m core diameter and a liftoff mass of 334 tonnes, it generates 3,827 kN of liftoff thrust and can deliver 8,900 kg to low Earth orbit or 3,970 kg to geostationary transfer orbit. First flying in April 2010, the Atlas V 501 launched the Air Force's X-37B spaceplane on its maiden orbital mission and has been the preferred configuration for classified military spaceplane flights.