Atlas I

Atlas I Centaur

Mission Profile

The Atlas I (Atlas I Centaur) was a two-stage American launch vehicle in the Atlas family, the first Atlas variant with a fully digital guidance system replacing the older radio-guided Centaur. Standing 47.5 m tall with a 3.1 m core diameter and a liftoff mass of 164 tonnes, it generated 2,320 kN of liftoff thrust and could deliver 5,900 kg to low Earth orbit or 2,250 kg to geostationary transfer orbit. First flying in July 1990, the Atlas I launched commercial and government satellites during a brief operational period before being superseded by the Atlas II.