I designed and tested 1/4scale Castor IVA srbs to get acoustic and pressure data for the blast deflectors, cause back in 91 the launch pads were already built(the original atlas launchers) and they needed to get deflectors in and around existing structures. I used mk36 cases to make motors. This was done at Thiokol Hunstville (gone now).
Heck yeah, balloon tanks! Amazingly, it's still the closest we've come to SSTO. The "bold move" mentioned at 5:38 was driven by the need to prevent engineers from emigrating from the recently-collapsed USSR.
The first Atlas V launch happened a few days after I was born. It was the very first vehicle to leave Earth whilst I was a part of it. It holds a very special place in my heart
When I was in Russia in the early '90s I visited Tsagi. Got to tour the supersonic wind tunnel. The entire tunnel in underground. They built it underground to protect it from the Atlas ICBM. Ironically, in the test section, was an Atlas IIAS. The rocket that caused them to bury the tunnel was now a paying, commercial customer.
Nothing will beat the Atlas-Centaur D. The SM-65 will always be my favorite missile and space launch vehicle! I’m currently remaking them in Juno: Origins.
I take issue with the line "In a departure from conventional thinking, the Atlas V development replaced the [pressure stabilized] tank with a structurally stable, common core booster." This line could only have been thought up by a misinformed PR team, as the pressure-stabilized tank, in fact, was the departure from conventional thinking, and not the other way around. The Atlas V tank is not a departure from conventional thinking, but rather a return to it. I don't claim to judge which approach is better, but rather to point out that one shouldn't be fooled by the PR-speak in this video.
Its just easier to add more inert weight. Easier ground handling, less issues with punctures. They go with what they know, ULA, if they are some of the same people I worked with decades, will tell its all a KNOWN science, rockets that is.
Fun fact: 9 yo kids that are watching doesn't know the RD 180 has 2 nozzles, came up thinking the core stage was powered with 2 engines (I laughed so hard when the narrator says "vital for our nation" bcuz I'm just a Vietnamese came watching this)
Delta was always passed through the upper stage. So you had the Thor-Delta, which eventually just became Delta, and they just kept stretching and strengthening the Thor. Eventually the old Delta stage got replaced with the DCSS with Delta III, and Thor got completely replaced with the CBC on Delta IV.
I still to this day remember as a kid growing up in Cheyenne Wyoming in the 50's and 60's when the Atlas ICBM"S rolled through Cheyenne on their way to Silos west of town. They came through town on trailers, covered with just a large tarp. Going to silo sites west along old highway 30, now interstate 80 not too many miles west of Cheyenne. Those were the days when my parents built a house out northeast of town, complete with a 12 x 12 foot "bomb shelter" under concrete and 3 feet of earth. The days of Sputnik really scared the crap out of most Americans in the 50's. The Atlas Rocket has such a very long history to this day, although not still the same rocket but improved and still named "Atlas",,,
Plans were made to make a copy of the RD-180 in American factories if Papa Putin decided to cut off the engine supply. It almost happened because of the Crimia invasion.
@@TheMrPeteChannel It has happened now. And no, you can't just copy the RD-180, the closed-cycle engine contains technology and alloys that aren't easy to copy.
ULA does more high Techicnal orbits that SpaceX can’t, like direct to GTO SpaceX can’t do that. Also with high energy orbits, IE mars and other solar system missions.
always loved the Atlas family
such beautiful rockets
0.060 inch stainless steel skin, overlap welded together. Thats all it was, pressurized like a balloon, it had lots of strength and low weight.
@@orbitalair2103 Doesn't make them any less beautiful, does it?
They are amazing, Thanks ULA and Thanks Tory
I designed and tested 1/4scale Castor IVA srbs to get acoustic and pressure data for the blast deflectors, cause back in 91 the launch pads were already built(the original atlas launchers) and they needed to get deflectors in and around existing structures. I used mk36 cases to make motors. This was done at Thiokol Hunstville (gone now).
Heck yeah, balloon tanks! Amazingly, it's still the closest we've come to SSTO.
The "bold move" mentioned at 5:38 was driven by the need to prevent engineers from emigrating from the recently-collapsed USSR.
Also because RD-180 is an awesome engine.
@@amiralavi6599 True!
@@amiralavi6599 very true
The first Atlas V launch happened a few days after I was born. It was the very first vehicle to leave Earth whilst I was a part of it.
It holds a very special place in my heart
Amazing how a missile that was developed to protect us from the Russians, came to have Russian built engines on it lol.
Magic Smoke FPV lel
😂 👍🏻 RD 180 Cool Engine!
When I was in Russia in the early '90s I visited Tsagi. Got to tour the supersonic wind tunnel. The entire tunnel in underground. They built it underground to protect it from the Atlas ICBM. Ironically, in the test section, was an Atlas IIAS. The rocket that caused them to bury the tunnel was now a paying, commercial customer.
Nothing will beat the Atlas-Centaur D. The SM-65 will always be my favorite missile and space launch vehicle! I’m currently remaking them in Juno: Origins.
My favorite launch vehicle number 2
Atlas V 500 series!
Number 1
*Titan 3E , Titan IVB Centaur* ❤️
I take issue with the line "In a departure from conventional thinking, the Atlas V development replaced the [pressure stabilized] tank with a structurally stable, common core booster."
This line could only have been thought up by a misinformed PR team, as the pressure-stabilized tank, in fact, was the departure from conventional thinking, and not the other way around.
The Atlas V tank is not a departure from conventional thinking, but rather a return to it. I don't claim to judge which approach is better, but rather to point out that one shouldn't be fooled by the PR-speak in this video.
Its just easier to add more inert weight. Easier ground handling, less issues with punctures. They go with what they know, ULA, if they are some of the same people I worked with decades, will tell its all a KNOWN science, rockets that is.
Lop
Rocket away.
Not a single word, that the RD-180 is... from an external supplier?
Thankfully they're switching to the BE-4 for the Vulcan. So we can finally stop relying on the Russians.
Really ironic that a vehicle which intentional purpose was to wipe out russians later took of from ground with the help of russian engines haha
It's manufactured by NPO Energomash, derived from the RD-170 on the Energia rocket
@@lucaxdls yes it was to appease the Russians to calm down tensions
@@jmstudios457 Energiya is world's powerful rocket after Saturn V. RD 170 👌🏻
Beautiful video.
Atlas ❤
Fun fact: 9 yo kids that are watching doesn't know the RD 180 has 2 nozzles, came up thinking the core stage was powered with 2 engines
(I laughed so hard when the narrator says "vital for our nation" bcuz I'm just a Vietnamese came watching this)
Mighty Atlas 🔥💪🏻😍
So Atlas went from a pressure stabilized ICBM used against the Soviets to a structural rocket using Soviet engines. Why is it still called Atlas?
kinda what happened to the delta rockets. It evolved so much it's practically an entirely different machine
The tank diameter was the same. The new aluminum tank could still be made on the same machinery.
@@jmstudios457 Yes, but the Delta actually started out as the Thor.
Delta was always passed through the upper stage. So you had the Thor-Delta, which eventually just became Delta, and they just kept stretching and strengthening the Thor. Eventually the old Delta stage got replaced with the DCSS with Delta III, and Thor got completely replaced with the CBC on Delta IV.
Its too bad the rd-180 engine had to be soviet technology. Its a beast of an engine!
1 engine....2 nozzles or engine bells
The Soviets are the only ones creating multiple-combustion chamber engines.
The atlas-centaur is a great rocket, i missed it. Next rocket: Atlas VI.
Nah bud, it’s VULCAN now, turning to Methane fuel.
@@starcatcherksp1517 But at least the Centaur name will live on, in Vulcan's upper stage.
Most beautiful powerful rocket ever,,, RD 180👍❤️🔥🔥
RD-180 is an engine.
I still to this day remember as a kid growing up in Cheyenne Wyoming in the 50's and 60's when the Atlas ICBM"S rolled through Cheyenne on their way to Silos west of town. They came through town on trailers, covered with just a large tarp. Going to silo sites west along old highway 30, now interstate 80 not too many miles west of Cheyenne. Those were the days when my parents built a house out northeast of town, complete with a 12 x 12 foot "bomb shelter" under concrete and 3 feet of earth. The days of Sputnik really scared the crap out of most Americans in the 50's. The Atlas Rocket has such a very long history to this day, although not still the same rocket but improved and still named "Atlas",,,
Nice job ULA! Keep innovating!
The Mighty ATLAS has done it again it placed the X37 into space now to launch Starliner.
Great video. 10/10.
We never walked on the moon! Someone blew the whistle.
Just reading S.Baxter's Voyage :)
Mariner 4 footage is used when talking about Mariner 2...
Wow
How are those hydraulic clamps able to move so damn fast?
They’re that good
Rip atlas and delta
Plz don't delete the old video
Atlas launched again!
4:32 - 4:37 i just spit out my coffee
If the Executives at ULA/ Boeing/ & Lockheed hadn't been so cheap and greedy, they would have funded building RD-180's in the USA 20 years ago.
RD-180 is best of rocket engine.
It is a very good engine.
Russian Rocket Engine 🔥🇷🇺
USSR 👍💝
@SFS NASA Those are gas generator open-cycle engines, the RD-180 is a closed-cycle engine, which is more efficient.
Go ULA
RD-180 engines were supposed to be phased out, no?
will be with Vulcan. Atlas V is too close to retirement
Appable
Yeah, Vulcan will use BE-4 engines, from Blue Origin. Vulcan set first flight in 2021
Plans were made to make a copy of the RD-180 in American factories if Papa Putin decided to cut off the engine supply. It almost happened because of the Crimia invasion.
@@TheMrPeteChannel It has happened now. And no, you can't just copy the RD-180, the closed-cycle engine contains technology and alloys that aren't easy to copy.
RD-180 👍💪💪💪💪💪 USSR
Pretty patriotic video considering the RD-180 is Russian lol
Why ULA aren't ambitious like SpaceX, launching satellite is just normal 🤷♂️
ULA does more high Techicnal orbits that SpaceX can’t, like direct to GTO SpaceX can’t do that. Also with high energy orbits, IE mars and other solar system missions.
But spacex is launching satellites too in lower orbits
@@constellation-sj8xn yes SpaceX dominates LEO orbits, but anywhere else ULA can do better.
Well SpaceX hasn't launched a single rover.
Wrong. The falcon 9 gets more payload to Mars than the Atlas V
What no atlas 4 ?
Naming problems.