Success
New Horizons
Robotic Exploration
United Launch Alliance(ULA)CommercialAtlas V 551
Solar Esc.orbit
New Horizons is an interplanetary space probe that was launched as a part of NASA's New Frontiers program. Engineered by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), with a team led by S. Alan Stern, the spacecraft was launched in 2006 with the primary mission to perform a flyby study of the Pluto system in 2015, and a secondary mission to fly by and study one or more other Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) in the decade to follow. It is the fifth artificial object to achieve the escape velocity needed to leave the Solar System.
Thursday, January 19, 2006 at 7:00 PM
Mission details
Orbital Attempt
#4,751
ULA Mission
#1
Pad Launch
#34
Location Launch
#638
Designator
2006-001
Launch Window
NET
Jan 19, 2006, 7:00 PM
Schedule Changes
1 update
Atlas V 551 Specs
Atlas V is an expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. It was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin and is now operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture with Boeing. Each Atlas V rocket uses a Russian-built RD-180 engine burning kerosene and liquid oxygen to power its first stage and an American-built RL10 engine burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to power its Centaur upper stage. The RD-180 engines are provided by RD Amross, while Aerojet Rocketdyne provides both the RL10 engines and the strap-on boosters used in some configurations. The standard payload fairing sizes are 4 or 5 meters in diameter and of various lengths. Fairings sizes as large as 7.2 m in diameter and up to 32.3 m in length have been considered. The rocket is assembled in Decatur, Alabama and Harlingen, Texas.
Length
59.7 m
Diameter
3.8 m
Launch Mass
573 t
Thrust
12,269 kN
LEO Capacity
18,850 kg
GTO Capacity
8,890 kg
GEO Capacity
3,850 kg
Launch Cost
$153M
Reusable
No
Maiden Flight
2006
Fastest Turnaround
23d 19h
Total Launches
21
Successful
21
Failed
0
Consecutive Success
21
Maiden flight: Jan 19, 2006
United Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance (ULA) is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. ULA was formed in December 2006 by combining the teams at these companies which provide spacecraft launch services to the government of the United States. ULA launches from both coasts of the US. They launch their Atlas V vehicle from LC-41 in Cape Canaveral and LC-3E at Vandeberg. Their Delta IV launches from LC-37 at Cape Canaveral and LC-6 at Vandenberg.
Founded
2006
Administrator
Interim CEO: John Elbon
Total Launches
173
Successful
173
Failed
0
Pending
38
Consecutive Success
173
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45, located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida.
Timezone
America/New_York
Local Launch Time
Jan 19, 2006, 2:00 PM
Total Launches
1,109
Total Landings
75
Coordinates
28.4889, -80.5778