Atlas II and IIA analyses and environments validation

General Dynamics has now flown all four versions of the Atlas commercial launch vehicle, which cover a payload weight capability to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) in the range of 5000–8000 lb. The key analyses to set design and environmental test parameters for the vehicle modifications and the ground and flight test data that validated them were prepared in paper IAF-91-170 for the first version, Atlas I.

This paper presents similar data for the next two versions, Atlas II and IIA. The Atlas II has propellant tanks lengthened by 12 ft and is boosted by MA-5A rocket engines uprated to 474,000 lb liftoff thrust. GTO payload capability is 6225 lb with the 11-ft fairing. The Atlas IIA is an Atlas II with uprated RL10A-4 engines on the lengthened Centaur II upper stage. The two 20,800 lb thrust, 449 s specific impulse engines with an optional extendible nozzle increase payload capability to GTO to 6635 lb. The paper describes design parameters and validated test results for many other improvements that have generally provided greater capability at less cost, weight and complexity and better reliability. Those described include: moving the MA-5A start system to the ground, replacing the vernier engines with a simple 50 lb thrust on-off hydrazine roll control system, addition of a POGO suppressor, replacement of Centaur jettisonable insulation panels with fixed foam, a new inertial navigation unit (INU) that combines in one package a ring-laser gyro based strapdown guidance system with two MIL-STD-1750A processors, redundant MIL-STD-1553 data bus interfaces, robust Ada-based software and a new Al-Li payload adapter. Payload environment is shown to be essentially unchanged from previous Atlas vehicles. Validation of load, stability, control and pressurization requirements for the larger vehicle is discussed.

All flights to date (five Atlas II, one Atlas IIA) have been successful in launching satellites for EUTELSAT, the U.S. Air Force and INTELSAT. Significant design parameters validated by these flights are presented. Particularly noteworthy has been the performance of the INU, which has provided average GTO insertion errors of only 10 miles apogee, 0.2 miles perigee and 0.004 degrees inclination. It is concluded that Atlas II/IIA have successfully demonstrated probably the largest number of current state-of-the-art components of any expendable launch vehicle flying today.