Atlas V 551
Atlas familyUnited Launch AllianceRetired
Atlas V is an expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. It was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin and is now operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture with Boeing. Each Atlas V rocket uses a Russian-built RD-180 engine burning kerosene and liquid oxygen to power its first stage and an American-built RL10 engine burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to power its Centaur upper stage. The RD-180 engines are provided by RD Amross, while Aerojet Rocketdyne provides both the RL10 engines and the strap-on boosters used in some configurations. The standard payload fairing sizes are 4 or 5 meters in diameter and of various lengths. Fairings sizes as large as 7.2 m in diameter and up to 32.3 m in length have been considered. The rocket is assembled in Decatur, Alabama and Harlingen, Texas.
Specifications
- Thrust
- 12,269 kN
- Height
- 59.7 m
- Diameter
- 3.8 m
- Launch mass
- 573 t
- Stages
- 2
- Launch cost
- $153M
- LEO capacity
- 18,850 kg
- GTO capacity
- 8,890 kg
- GEO capacity
- 3,850 kg
Specifications from Launch Library. Figures the operator has not published are omitted.
Flight record
First flight January 19, 2006 · latest July 2, 2026 · 04:30 UTC
Counted from padside's own launch record, the same basis as the stats page.
Flights per year
- Successful
- Failed
Show the numbers for Atlas V 551 flights per year
| Year | Successful | Failed | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 2026 | 4 | 0 | 4 |