Success
PRIME 3
Test Flight
United States Air Force(USAF)Government
Atlas SLV-3
Suborbit
The Martin X-23 PRIME (Precision Recovery Including Maneuvering Entry) was a small uncrewed lifting body re-entry vehicle tested by the United States Air Force in the late 1960s. PRIME 3 mission was flown on 19 April 1967 and simulated reentry from low-earth orbit with a 1143 km cross-range. This time, all systems performed perfectly, and the X-23 was successfully recovered.
Thursday, April 20, 1967 at 1:35 AM
Mission details
USAF Mission
#390
Pad Launch
#15
Location Launch
#256
Launch Window
NET
Apr 20, 1967, 1:35 AM
Schedule Changes
1 update
Space Launch Complex 3E
SLC-3E is a launch pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base. It was originally built for the MIDAS program and later used for various other missions. After a period of inactivity, it was refurbished in the early 2000s to launch Atlas V rockets. The pad is now being upgraded to accommodate the new Vulcan Centaur rocket. The last Atlas V launch from SLC-3E happened in November 2022, with the first Vulcan launch expected in 2025.
Total Launches
48
Orbital Attempts
45
Fastest Turnaround
1mo 2d
Atlas SLV-3 Specs
The Atlas SLV-3, or SLV-3 Atlas was an American expendable launch system derived from the SM-65 Atlas / SM-65D Atlas missile. It was a member of the Atlas family of rockets.
Length
21 m
Diameter
3.05 m
Launch Mass
120 t
Thrust
3,824 kN
LEO Capacity
800 kg
Reusable
No
Maiden Flight
1966
Fastest Turnaround
1mo 15d
Total Launches
4
Successful
4
Failed
0
Consecutive Success
4
Maiden flight: Jun 1, 1966
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947.
Founded
1947
Administrator
Commander-in-Chief: President of the US
Total Launches
1,078
Successful
972
Failed
106
Pending
0
Consecutive Success
68
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Vandenberg Space Force Base is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the Western Range, and also performs missile testing. The United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 30 serves as the host delta for the base, equivalent to an Air Force air base wing. In addition to its military space launch mission, Vandenberg Space Force Base also hosts space launches for civil and commercial space entities, such as NASA and SpaceX.
Timezone
America/Los_Angeles
Local Launch Time
Apr 19, 1967, 5:35 PM
Total Launches
885
Total Landings
34
Coordinates
34.7513, -120.5202