![]() The flights proved the value of three important innovations: gimbaled engines for directional control, lightweight, pressurized airframe structure, and separable nose cones. A year later, three MX-774's were test-launched at White Sands Proving Ground, New Mexico. Captive testing of the MX-774 research rockets began in San Diego in 1947. In April, Convair received a contract for $1,400,000 for a year's study of under Project MX-774. A study program was proposed to the Air Force to determine which type would best serve the ultimate purpose. ![]() In October 1945, the Army Air Force invited industry to submit proposals for research and development of four types of missiles, the largest of which was to be a weapon with a 5,000-mile range.īy early January 1946, the Downey engineers had roughed out their ideas on two types of 5,000-mile missiles: one subsonic, winged, and jet powered and the other supersonic, ballistic, and rocket powered. The history of the Atlas ballistic missile field goes back to a US Army Air Force request for a proposal just after World War II. Vehicle characteristics included: efficient pressure-stabilized stainless steel structure for high stage mass fraction, advanced inertial guidance andĬontrol hardware and software for pinpoint accuracy and flexibility, high-energy liquid hydrogen and oxygen propellant upper stage. The vehicle has been continuously upgraded to launch progressively larger and heavier spacecraft. The Atlas/Centaur launch vehicle, originally developed by General Dynamics for NASA, has launched a wide variety of spacecraft with over two decades of reliable operations. Since it has undergone a series of improvements, including tank lengthening, engine performance increases, and system updating. Originally developed as a US Air Force weapon system, early in its development period, Atlas made the transition to become a space booster. Atlas went on to become a workhorse in the US space program, launching numerous government, military and civilian payloads. In 1958 the first communication from space was broadcast from an orbiting Atlas with a recorded Christmas message from then President Eisenhower. At the same time Atlas was being developed as an ICBM, the Air Force began supplying the vehicles to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for space applications. Atlas began as the first US intercontinental ballistic missile.
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