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The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force added an LV-3B / SM-65D Atlas Rocket for permanent display in the Missile Gallery collection.
Engineers designed Atlas as the first U.S. nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) playing a vital role in the “space race” with the Soviet Union and in early nuclear deterrence. It was later modified to carry NASA astronauts.
The rocket on display represents the launch vehicle for U.S. Air Force Maj. Gordon Cooper’s Mercury-Atlas 9 mission on May 15-16, 1963. His was the final and longest Mercury mission, lasting more than 34 hours. In his spacecraft Faith 7, Cooper orbited the earth 22 times. He experienced six times the force of gravity during launch and orbited the earth at more than 17,000 mph. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ty Greenlees)
| Date Taken: | 04.29.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.19.2024 13:51 |
| Photo ID: | 8598536 |
| VIRIN: | 240429-F-AU145-1367 |
| Resolution: | 3476x5214 |
| Size: | 2.24 MB |
| Location: | WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 8 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Convair SM-65 Atlas [Image 9 of 9], by Tyler Greenlees, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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