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Athena
Athena [USAF]
The Athena multi-stage research missile built by Atlantic Research Co. was used to simulate the trajectories of intercontinental missiles in firings from Green River, Utah over a range of 760 km to White Sands. The last missions were flown from Wallops Island with impact into the sea.
The first two stages lifted the upper-stages stack with the payload to an height of about 200 km. The third and fourth stage were fired on the downward arc to increase the velocity to up to 6700 m/s. The rocket was spin stabilized.
During a nine year period, 141 Athenas were launched to test re-entry vehicles and study their behavior.
The larger Athena-H was the follow on vehicle for reentry tests.
| Version | Strap-On | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athena | 2 × Recruit | Castor-1 | Pedro (TX-261-3) | Alcor | Alcyone |
Nr Vehicle Serial Date LS Payload
1 Athena A001 10.02.1964 GR LP-2 * F ABRES A-1 2 Athena A002 28.05.1964 GR LP-2 * F ABRES A-2 3 Athena A003 08.07.1964 GR LP-1 * ABRES B-1 4 Athena C001 28.09.1964 GR LP-2 * ABRES B-2 5 Athena D001 04.10.1964 GR LP-2 * F ABRES C-1 6 Athena C004 07.11.1964 GR LP-1 * ABRES B-5 7 Athena C003 28.11.1964 GR LP-3 * F ABRES B-4 8 Athena C002 05.12.1964 GR LP-2 * ABRES B-3 9 Athena C006 15.01.1965 GR LP-2 * ABRES B-7 10 Athena D003 02.02.1965 GR LP-2 * F ABRES P-1 11 Athena D002 12.02.1965 GR LP-3 * F ABRES P-2 12 Athena D008 16.02.1965 GR LP-1 * F ABRES P-4 13 Athena B002 22.06.1965 GR LP-3 * ABRES Q-2 14 Athena B001 22.06.1965 GR LP-2 * ABRES Q-1 15 Athena B003 16.07.1965 GR LP-1 * ABRES Q-3 16 Athena C007 20.07.1965 GR LP-3 * F ABRES E-1 17 Athena C011 26.07.1965 GR LP-2 * ABRES E-2 18 Athena D005 27.07.1965 GR LP-1 * F ABRES P-5 19 Athena D004 31.07.1965 GR LP-2 * ABRES P-6 20 Athena C014 03.08.1965 GR LP-3 * ABRES E-3 21 Athena C005 07.08.1965 GR LP-2 * ABRES B-6 22 Athena C009 07.08.1965 GR LP-1 * ABRES E-4 23 Athena C008 20.08.1965 GR LP-3 * ABRES B-8 24 Athena D009 20.08.1965 GR LP-1 * F ABRES C-2 25 Athena D012 27.08.1965 GR LP-2 * ABRES P-9 26 Athena B004 14.09.1965 GR LP-1 * ABRES N-1 27 Athena D033 14.09.1965 GR LP-3 * ABRES C-3 28 Athena D006 20.09.1965 GR LP-2 * ABRES P-7 29 Athena C012 27.09.1965 GR LP-1 * ABRES W-1 30 Athena B006 01.10.1965 GR LP-3 * ABRES N-2 31 Athena C016 11.10.1965 GR LP-2 * ABRES W-2 32 Athena D007 05.11.1965 GR LP-1 * ABRES P-8 33 Athena B007 22.11.1965 GR LP-3 * F ABRES N-3 34 Athena C017 06.12.1965 GR LP-3 * ABRES W-3 35 Athena C023 10.12.1965 GR LP-1 * ABRES H-1 36 Athena C025 21.01.1966 GR LP-2 * ABRES H-2 37 Athena C030 03.02.1966 GR LP-3 * ABRES H-3 38 Athena D014 17.02.1966 GR LP-2 * ABRES F-1 39 Athena B009 31.03.1966 GR LP-1 * ABRES T-1 40 Athena D019 31.03.1966 GR LP-3 * ABRES F-3 41 Athena D018 12.05.1966 GR LP-1 * ABRES F-2 42 Athena D031 27.05.1966 GR LP-1 * ABRES E-6 43 Athena C019 27.05.1966 GR LP-2 * ABRES E-7 44 Athena D021 09.06.1966 GR LP-3 * F ABRES F-4 45 Athena D023 10.06.1966 GR LP-2 * ABRES QQ-1 46 Athena D034 23.06.1966 GR LP-3 * ABRES SS-1 47 Athena C015 14.07.1966 GR LP-2 * ABRES GG-1 48 Athena B011 18.08.1966 GR LP-1 * ABRES N-6 49 Athena E001 19.08.1966 GR LP-3 * ABRES I-1 50 Athena D029 01.09.1966 GR LP-2 * ABRES F-7 51 Athena D025 02.09.1966 GR LP-1 * ABRES QQ-2 52 Athena B015 22.09.1966 GR LP-3 * ABRES RR-1 53 Athena D024 06.10.1966 GR LP-3 * ABRES RR-2 54 Athena D049 07.10.1966 GR LP-2 * ABRES WW-1 55 Athena D036 13.10.1966 GR LP-3 * ABRES SS-3 56 Athena D035 13.10.1966 GR LP-1 * ABRES SS-2 57 Athena D039 07.11.1966 GR LP-1 * ABRES RR-3 58 Athena D041 07.11.1966 GR LP-3 * ABRES SS-4 59 Athena D020 11.11.1966 GR LP-1 * ABRES RR-4 60 Athena B017 11.11.1966 GR LP-2 * ABRES I-2 61 Athena D047 11.11.1966 GR LP-3 * ABRES WW-2 62 Athena D038 15.12.1966 GR LP-2 * ABRES SS-6 63 Athena D042 16.12.1966 GR LP-3 * ABRES QQ-3 64 Athena B045 09.02.1967 GR LP-3 * F ABRES N-4 65 Athena D037 23.02.1967 GR LP-3 * ABRES RR-5 66 Athena C048 02.03.1967 GR LP-2 * ABRES AB-1 67 Athena B012 16.03.1967 GR LP-1 * ABRES YY-2 68 Athena D051 17.03.1967 GR LP-2 * ABRES SS-5 69 Athena D040 17.03.1967 GR LP-3 * ABRES QQ-4 70 Athena D046 30.03.1967 GR LP-3 * ABRES SS-7 71 Athena D049 30.03.1967 GR LP-2 * ABRES AB-2 72 Athena E002 31.03.1967 GR LP-1 * ABRES I-6 73 Athena D043 06.04.1967 GR LP-1 * ABRES RR-6 74 Athena B031 06.04.1967 GR LP-1 * ABRES N-5 75 Athena B020 12.04.1967 GR LP-3 * ABRES I-3 76 Athena B030 04.05.1967 GR LP-2 * F ABRES RR-7 77 Athena B033 05.05.1967 GR LP-3 * ABRES YY-5 78 Athena B032 05.05.1967 GR LP-1 * ABRES N-7 79 Athena B034 01.06.1967 GR LP-3 * ABRES YY-6 80 Athena D053 08.06.1967 GR LP-2 * ABRES SS-8 81 Athena D050 14.07.1967 GR LP-2 * ABRES WW-3 82 Athena E003 18.08.1967 GR LP-3 * ABRES I-4 83 Athena D055 18.08.1967 GR LP-2 * ABRES WW-4 84 Athena D059 24.08.1967 GR LP-3 * F ABRES AC-1 85 Athena D048 25.08.1967 GR LP-1 * ABRES QQ-5 86 Athena D057 08.09.1967 GR LP-3 * ABRES AI-1 87 Athena D056 14.09.1967 GR LP-1 * ABRES AD-1 88 Athena C051 29.09.1967 GR LP-2 * ABRES AH-2 89 Athena D066 29.09.1967 GR LP-3 * ABRES AC-2 90 Athena C050 29.09.1967 GR LP-1 * ABRES AH-1 91 Athena B030 11.10.1967 GR LP-2 * ABRES YY-3 92 Athena D063 16.11.1967 GR LP-1 * ABRES AC-3 93 Athena B023 30.11.1967 GR LP-3 * ABRES I-8 94 Athena B022 11.01.1968 GR LP-2 * ABRES I-7 95 Athena B039 18.01.1968 GR LP-1 * ABRES X-1 96 Athena B037 01.02.1968 GR LP-3 * ABRES YY-4 97 Athena B046 21.03.1968 GR LP-3 * ABRES AN-10 98 Athena D068 28.03.1968 GR LP-2 * ABRES AM-2 99 Athena B044 28.03.1968 GR LP-1 * ABRES AE-2 100 Athena V114C 29.03.1968 GR LP-3 * ABRES AH-5 101 Athena V116B 02.05.1968 GR LP-1 * F ABRES AE-3 102 Athena D061 17.05.1968 GR LP-3 * F ABRES AC-4 103 Athena B040 18.07.1968 GR LP-3 * F ABRES AE-4 104 Athena V120B 15.11.1968 GR LP-1 * ABRES AN-11 105 Athena D062 15.11.1968 GR LP-3 * ABRES AC-5 106 Athena D045 05.12.1968 GR LP-2 * ABRES QQ-6 107 Athena V137D 05.12.1968 GR LP-1 * ABRES AM-3 108 Athena V136D 06.12.1968 GR LP-3 * ABRES AN-3 109 Athena V118B 13.12.1968 GR LP-2 * ABRES AC-6 110 Athena V145D 17.01.1969 GR LP-1 * F ABRES AM-1 111 Athena V140D 17.01.1969 GR LP-3 * ABRES AN-4 112 Athena B038 23.01.1969 GR LP-2 * ABRES I-11 113 Athena B043 14.02.1969 GR LP-1 * ABRES AN-2 114 Athena V138D 27.03.1969 GR LP-3 * ABRES AJ-1 115 Athena B036 06.06.1969 GR LP-2 * ABRES I-9 116 Athena V132D 06.06.1969 GR LP-3 * ABRES AJ-2 117 Athena V119D 20.06.1969 GR LP-2 * ABRES AR-2 118 Athena V142D 26.06.1969 GR LP-1 * ABRES AR-1 119 Athena V147D 10.09.1969 GR LP-2 * ABRES AS-2 120 Athena V130D 25.09.1969 GR LP-2 * ABRES AS-1 121 Athena V141D 24.04.1970 GR LP-1 * ABRES CBD 122 Athena V123D 11.07.1970 GR LP-1 * P ABRES AS-5 123 Athena V144D 08.01.1971 GR LP-3 * ABRES CCD-1 124 Athena B035 11.03.1971 GR LP-3 * ABRES AS-3 125 Athena V127D 19.04.1971 GR LP-3 * ABRES SAMAST 126 Athena V146D 14.05.1971 GR LP-3 * ABRES TRR-01 127 Athena B041 03.06.1971 GR LP-1 * ABRES AS-4 128 Athena V139D 11.06.1971 GR LP-3 * ? 129 Athena V131D 20.08.1971 GR LP-1 * HAVE SINEW 1 130 Athena V126D 17.09.1971 GR LP-3 * ABRES SAMAST 131 Athena 12.12.1973 WI * HEART V4-6763 132 Athena 30.01.1974 WI * HEART V4-6765 133 Athena 25.03.1974 WI * HEART V4-6766 134 Athena 25.03.1974 WI * HEART V4-6764 135 Athena 28.08.1974 WI * HEART V4-6767 136 Athena 13.12.1974 WI * HEART V4-7486 137 Athena 20.01.1975 WI * HEARTS II RV 106 138 Athena 02.04.1975 WI * HEARTS II RV 112 139 Athena 09.03.1976 WI * SAMSO 37 (ABRES) 140 Athena 27.03.1976 WI * SAMSO 38 (ABRES) 141 Athena 02.04.1976 WI * MSV 1 142 Athena 25.04.1976 WI * SAMSO 39 (ABRES) 143 Athena 15.12.1976 WI * MSV 2 144 Athena 20.03.1977 WI * MSV 3 Launch sites: GR = Green River, Utah, USAWI = Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, USA
