Name: ATDA — Atlas SLV-3
Start: 1966-06-01T15:00:02Z
End: 1966-06-01T15:00:02Z
Location: Space Launch Complex 14

Question 1

What rocket is launching ATDA?

Accepted Answer

ATDA is launching on the Atlas SLV-3.

Question 2

Who is launching ATDA?

Accepted Answer

ATDA is being launched by United States Air Force, a government launch provider founded in 1947.

Question 3

Where is ATDA launching from?

Accepted Answer

ATDA is launching from Space Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is ATDA heading to?

Accepted Answer

ATDA is heading to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Question 5

Is the Atlas SLV-3 reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Atlas SLV-3 is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Atlas SLV-3 flown?

Accepted Answer

The Atlas SLV-3 has launched 4 times to date, with 4 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the ATDA mission?

Accepted Answer

The ATDA (Augmented Target Docking Adapter) had been prepared as a back-up target in case of an GATV (Gemini Agena Target Vehicle) failure. The ATDA was a short cylinder consisting of a target docking adapter cone mounted on front and containing a communications system, a guidance and control system, and a reaction control system. It also had running lights, but unlike the GATV, the ATDA had no propulsive capabilities for orbit changes.

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

ATDA

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Space Launch Complex 14

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions