Retired· National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Atlas LV-3B

The Atlas LV-3B, Atlas D Mercury Launch Vehicle or Mercury-Atlas Launch Vehicle, was a human-rated expendable launch system used as part of the United States Project Mercury to send astronauts into low Earth orbit.

Follow Atlas LV-3B in the app

Launches

since Jul 1960

Success rate

70%

7 of 10 successful

In a row

successful launches

Launches per Year

Full year2026 so far

Specifications

Height: 28.7 m
Diameter: 3 m
Liftoff mass: 120 t
Liftoff thrust: 1,300 kN
To low Earth orbit: 1,360 kg
Stages: 1
First flight: July 29, 1960
Manufacturer: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Flies for Mercury.

Next Launches

No Upcoming Launches

No launch is scheduled for this vehicle right now.

Space Launch Now for iOS and Android

Follow Atlas LV-3B and get a notification before each of its launches.

See what's in the app

Scan to open on your phone

[data-page-skeleton]{display:none}body{display:flex;flex-direction:column}body>footer{order:2}body>main{padding-bottom:0}body:has(>div[hidden][id^="S:"]>[data-data-unavailable]) header[data-site-header]{background:var(--canvas);border-color:var(--rule);color:var(--ink)}body:has(>div[hidden][id^="S:"]>[data-data-unavailable]) [data-header-scrim]{display:none}body>div[hidden][id^="S:"]>[data-data-unavailable]{max-width:calc(var(--container-content) + 2 * var(--s-5));padding:var(--s-9) var(--s-5) 0}body>div[hidden][id^="S:"]:last-of-type{padding-bottom:var(--s-9)}body:has(>div[id^="S:"] [data-app-promo])>div[hidden][id^="S:"]:last-of-type{padding-bottom:0}@layer base{body>div[hidden][id^="S:"]{display:block!important;order:1}}