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The Centaur upper stage, fuelled by liquid oxygen
and liquid hydrogen, was initially developed by General Dynamics to place
military communications satellites into orbit. When the programme was cancelled,
the launcher was handed over for civilian use by NASA. In 1994 the rights
to the Centaur upper stage were sold to Martin Marietta, which in 1995 merged
with Lockheed to become Lockheed Martin. The Centaur upper stage was first
used on 27 November 1963 after a failure on 8 May 1962.
The Centaur upper stage was extensively used for the Atlas launch vehicle
in a range of versions. The Centaur was also used for the Titan-3E and Titan-IV
launch vehicles, in two versions.
The Centaur T of the Titan-IV based on the Centaur G and Centaur G-Prime,
with diameter of 4.32 m. The Centaur G / G-Prime were planned as future kick-stages
for payloads on the Space Shuttle.
|
Type
|
Length
|
Fuel (t)
|
Engine P&W
RL-10
|
Thrust (kN)
|
Isp (sec)
|
Used for
|
Launches
|
|
Centaur A
|
9.14
|
13.79
|
2x RL-10A-1
|
133.4
|
422.0
|
SLV-3C
|
1
|
|
Centaur B
|
13.79
|
2x RL-10A-3
|
133.4
|
427.0
|
SLV-3C
|
1
|
|
Centaur
C
|
13.79
|
2x RL-10A-3-1
|
133.4
|
431.0
|
SLV-3C
|
3
|
|
Centaur D
|
13.79
|
2x RL-10A-3-3
|
133.4
|
442.2
|
LV-3C, SLV-3C
|
24
|
|
Centaur D-1A
|
13.79
|
2x RL-10A-3-3
|
133.4
|
442.2
|
SLV-3D
|
6
|
|
Centaur D-1T
|
13.79
|
2x RL-10A-3-3T
|
133.4
|
442.2
|
Titan-3E
|
7
|
|
Centaur D-1AR
|
13.79
|
2x RL-10A-3-3A
|
146.8
|
444.4
|
SLV-3D, Atlas-G
|
33
|
|
Centaur D-1B
|
13.79
|
2x RL-10A-3-3A
|
146.8
|
444.4
|
Atlas I
|
11
|
|
Centaur T
|
11.73
|
20.86
|
2x RL-10A-3-3AT
|
146.8
|
444.4
|
Titan-IVA
|
9
|
|
Centaur G
|
7.10
|
13.50
|
2x RL-10A-3-3A
|
146.8
|
444.4
|
Space
Shuttle
|
0
|
|
Centaur G-Prime
|
11.73
|
20.86
|
2x RL-10A-3-3A
|
146.8
|
444.4
|
Space
Shuttle
|
0
|
|
Centaur D-2
|
10.06
|
16.93
|
2x RL-10A-3-3A
|
146.8
|
444.4
|
Atlas-II
|
10
|
|
Centaur D-2A
|
16.93
|
2x RL-10A-4
|
182.4
|
446.4
|
Atlas-IIA
|
8
|
|
Centaur D-2AN
|
10.52
|
16.93
|
2x RL-10A-4N
|
185.0
|
448.9
|
Atlas-IIA, Atlas-IIAS
|
10
|
|
Centaur D-2A1
|
10.06
|
16.93
|
2x RL-10A-4-1
|
195.7
|
446.4
|
Atlas-IIA, Atlas-IIAS
|
5
|
|
Centaur T
|
11.73
|
20.86
|
2x RL-10A-4-1
|
195.7
|
446.4
|
Titan
-IVB
|
7
|
|
Centaur D-2A1N
|
10.52
|
16.93
|
2x RL-10A-4-1N
|
198.4
|
450.5
|
Atlas-IIA, Atlas-IIAS
|
30
|
|
Centaur D-3A SEC
|
16.93
|
1x RL-10A-4-1N
|
99.2
|
450.5
|
Atlas-IIIA
|
2
|
|
Centaur D-3B SEC
|
12.68
|
20.67
|
1x RL-10A-4-1
|
97.9
|
446.4
|
Atlas-IIIB
|
3
|
|
Centaur D-3B DEC
|
20.67
|
2x RL-10A-4-1N
|
198.4
|
450.5
|
Atlas-IIIB
|
1
|
|
Centaur D-5 SEC
|
20.83
|
1x RL-10A-4-2
|
97.9
|
446.4
|
Atlas-V
|
51
|
|
Centaur D-5 SEC |
20.83 |
1x RL-10A-4-2N |
99.2 |
450.5 |
Atlas V |
|
Centaur D-5 SEC
|
20.83
|
1x
RL-10C-1
|
101.8 |
449.7 |
Atlas-V
|
18 |
Atlas Centaur
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
no image
|
|
|
|
Centaur A
|
Centaur B
|
Centaur C
|
Centaur D
|
Centaur D-1A
|
Centaur D-1AR
|
Centaur D-1B
|
Centaur D-2
|
Centaur D-2A
|
|
LV-3C
|
LV-3C
|
LV-3C
|
LV-3C, SLV-3C
|
SLV-3D
|
SLV-3D, Atlas-G
|
Atlas-I
|
Atlas-II
|
Atlas-IIA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
no image
|
|
Centaur D-2AN (DEC)
|
Centaur D-2A1 (DEC)
|
Centaur D-2A1N (DEC)
|
Centaur D-3A SEC
|
Centaur D-3B SEC
|
Centaur D-3B DEC
|
Centaur D-5 SEC
|
Centaur D-5 SEC
|
Centaur D-5 SEC
|
|
Atlas-IIA, Atlas-IIAS
|
Atlas-IIA, Atlas-IIAS
|
Atlas-IIA, Atlas-IIAS
|
Atlas-IIIA
|
Atlas-IIIB
|
Atlas-IIIB
|
Atlas-V (2002)
|
Atlas-V (2009)
|
Atlas-V (2014)
|
Titan Centaur
|
|
|
|
|
|
Centaur D-1T
|
Centaur T
|
Centaur G
|
Centaur G-Prime
|
|
Titan-3E
|
Titan-IVA,Titan-IVB
|
Space Shuttle
|
Space Shuttle
|
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