English: Atlas IIIA Centaur on its first launch (May 24, 2000) - An Atlas III space lift vehicle (AC-201) made its debut on May 24, 2000, in a dramatic liftoff powered by the new Russian RD-180 engine. The liftoff occurred at 7:10 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, followed by successful separation of the W4 spacecraft and insertion into geosynchronous transfer orbit just under 29 minutes later. The AC-201 flight marks the first Russian rocket engine to be provided by Pratt & Whitney and is the first Russian rocket engine to power an American launch vehicle. A P&W upper stage engine, the RL10 (RL10A-4-1B model), powered the Atlas first single-engine Centaur configuration.
This image was released by the United States Armed Forces with the ID 021126-O-9999G-003 (next).
This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required.See Commons:Licensing.
This image or file is a work of a U.S. Air Force Airman or employee, taken or made as part of that person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image or file is in the public domain in the United States.
This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it.
If the file has been modified from its original state, some details may not fully reflect the modified file.
Image title
An Atlas III space lift vehicle, the newest rocket to fly from the historic Complex 36 launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fl., made its debut on 24 May 2000 in a dramatic liftoff powered by the new Russian RD-180 engine. The liftoff occurred at 7:10 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, followed by successful separation of the W4 spacecraft and insertion into geosynchronous transfer orbit just under 29 minutes later. The AC-201 flight marks the first Russian rocket engine to be provided by Pratt & Whitney and is the first Russian rocket engine to power an American launch vehicle. A P&W upper stage engine, the RL10 (RL10A-4-1B model), powered the Atlas first single-engine Centaur configuration. (Courtesy Photo)