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The SM-65F Atlas, or Atlas-F, was the final operational variant of the Atlas missile, only differing from the Atlas E in the launch facility and guidance package used. It first flew on 8 August 1961, [1] and was deployed as an operational ICBM between 1961 and 1966.
Convair SM-65F Atlas 532 550 SMS Site 02 Abilene KS. The SM-65F Atlas, or Atlas-F, was the final operational variant of the Atlas missile. It first flew on 8 August 1961, and was deployed as an operational ICBM between September 1962 and April 1965.
Learn about the first operational intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in the US, its technical specifications, system operation, and developmental history. The web page also features a photo of an Atlas missile on display at the museum.
Apr 23, 2024 · The SM-65 Atlas was a ground-launched, liquid-fueled, ballistic missile developed and deployed by the United States from 1959 to 1965. It was also used as the primary launch vehicle for the Mercury space program and other satellite missions.
Jan 1, 2021 · Atlas F (SM-65F) was a quick-launch version of Atlas E. Rather than being stored horizontally in a hardened “coffin” and erected prior to launch as the Atlas Ds and Es had been, Atlas F was deployed vertically in underground silos equipped with blast doors and an elevator to raise the missile into firing position.
Atlas F (SM-65F, HGM-16F) Missile housed in an vertical silo with adjoining control center, hardened to 100 psi overpressure. Inertial guidance system. Filled with RP-1 while it sat on alert, LOX added at the start of the countdown, then raised to ground level by the massive silo elevator.
Shown here is a Convair SM-65F Atlas Missile at the Abilene, Kansas, site circa 1962. Photo is courtesy of the U.S. Air Force. Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains 43 (Spring 2020), 28–40. Kansas Missiles: Central Kansas and the Nation’s Cold War Nuclear Arsenal, 1959–1965. by Landry Brewer.
