Athena I (originally known as the Lockheed Launch Vehicle, or LLV, and later the Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle, or LMLV) was an American small expendable launch system used for four orbital launches between 1995 and 2001. It was a member of the Athena family of rockets, alongside the larger Athena II.
Design
The Athena I was a three-stage rocket. The first stage was a Castor 120 solid rocket motor, also used on some versions of the Taurus rocket. The second stage used an Orbus 21D solid motor. The third stage was a monopropellant liquid-fuelled Orbital Adjustment Module (OAM), which burned hydrazine and was propelled by four MR-107 engines for final orbit insertion.
The rocket stood 18.9 meters (62 ft) tall, had a diameter of 2.36 meters (7 ft 9 in), and had a launch mass of 66,300 kilograms (146,200 lb). It could deliver up to 820 kilograms (1,810 lb) to low Earth orbit or 360 kilograms (790 lb) to Sun-synchronous orbit.
Launch History
Four Athena I launches were conducted from three different launch sites:
| Flight | Date | Launch Site | Payload | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 August 1995 | Vandenberg SLC-6 | GemStar-1 | Failure – destroyed by range safety after thrust vectoring failure |
| 2 | 23 August 1997 | Vandenberg SLC-6 | Lewis (NASA) | Success |
| 3 | 27 January 1999 | Cape Canaveral LC-46 | ROCSAT-1 (Taiwan) | Success |
| 4 | 30 September 2001 | Kodiak Launch Complex | Starshine 3, PicoSAT 9, PCSat, SAPPHIRE | Success |
The maiden flight on 15 August 1995 was the first launch from Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) at Vandenberg Air Force Base, which had originally been built for the Titan III and later rebuilt for the Space Shuttle, though both programs were cancelled before any launches occurred from that pad. The fourth and final launch, known as the Kodiak Star mission, was the first orbital launch from Kodiak Island, Alaska.
Status
The Athena I was retired after its final flight in 2001. It was manufactured by Lockheed Martin in partnership with Alliant Techsystems (ATK).
