Atlas V 551

About the Atlas V 551

The Atlas V 551 Launch Vehicle is a part of the flight proven Atlas V 400/500 family that is being operated by United Launch Alliance. Atlas V rockets are flown since 2002 and have a near-perfect success rate (one flight was a partial failure, however the mission was cataloged as a success). The Vehicle is operated from Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The vehicle is assembled in Decatur, Alabama; Harlingen, Texas; San Diego, California; and at United Launch Alliance’s headquarters near Denver, Colorado.

Atlas V 551 is the largest of the Atlas V Launcher Family flown to date featuring five Solid Rocket Boosters and a 5.4-meter Payload Fairing. The 551 configuration has two stages, a Common Core Booster and a Centaur Upper Stage. Centaur can make multiple burns to deliver payloads to a variety of orbits including Low Earth Orbit, Geostationary Transfer Orbit and Geostationary Orbit as well as Earth Escape Trajectories.

Atlas V 551 stands 62.2 meters tall and has a main diameter of 3.81 meters. With a liftoff mass of 587,000 Kilograms, it is the heavy-weight of the SEC (Single Engine Centaur) Atlas V Fleet as the 551 version features five Solid Rocket Boosters. The Launcher uses the conventional Atlas V design with a Common Core Booster and a Centaur Upper Stage on top of it.

Atlas V 551 features a 5.4-meter payload Fairing under which it can carry payloads of up to 18,500 Kilograms to Low Earth Orbit. Geostationary Transfer Orbit Capability is 8,700 Kilograms. Direct GEO Injections of Payloads up to 3,960kg are also possible.

Notable Payloads

• New Horizons
• Juno

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