F-0006 First Atlas Launch

Film of the First Atlas Flight Test P4-103-0004 in the Summer of 1957 at Cape Canaveral. From the archives of the San Diego Air and Space Museum www.sandiegoairandspace.org/re... Please do not use for commercial purposes without permission.

[@stargazerken73]

I like these films that chronicle the early days of the Cape. It is rather strange to see at around 3:22 into the film, the lack of launch complex to the north of LC-14! You can see the locations as sandy areas but there are no towers or support structures. Now the area is a relic of the space age.

[@n6mz]

It would be fantastic if someone compiled a video showing all the Atlas launches, beginning with this one (missile 4A, 11 June 1957). There were 581 flights of the "real" Atlas and its derivatives, the final one occurring on 31 August 2004. By "real" Atlas I mean the one that had the most efficient aerospace structure ever built (the "stainless steel balloon") powered by Rocketdyne engines -- not the overweight aluminum slug powered by Putin's KGB-mafia engines that's currently being launched.

[@fs10inator]

+n6mz I know your comment is a year old, but I have something to tell you:
I'm planning on uploading the launches of Superbird 6, Terra, GOES-L, GOES-J etc., as well as other rare launch clips.
I wish I could find more launches of the Atlas-Centaur rockets, but Spaceflight Now has some launches protected under the bloody paywall of SFN+
So far, I have AC-1, AC-10, AC-79, AC-142, plus the final Atlas IIIA launch (AC-202).

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

Yeah but it still haves Atlas DNA. Same diameter and it still haves that outside pipe.

[@Truck_Company_84]

Dude, I agree. The Atlas IIAR (III) and later are not real nostalgic Atlas lineage machines. But, they are still my favorite A to V :)

[@rikhenneberg4064]

Pretty sure my dad was there. Since he was lead engineer to put in the original instrumentation at the cape.
And was in booster engine design.. Nozzles.
Saturn. Mercury. Atlas. Centaur.
In flight engineer.
Convair san diego.

[@user-wg2pw6dz2c]

10:13

[@atlasmissile4041]

Here's a link to a Flckr gallery of images of Atlas 4A:
www.flickr.com/photos/134663372@N03/galleries/72157659640699518/

[@patrickmchenry2217]

“Probe is unsheathed” 😂