United States Air Force
PRIME 1
Atlas SLV-3
SUCCESS
Success
Wednesday, December 21, 1966 · 22:15 UTC
Mission
/01The Martin X-23 PRIME (Precision Recovery Including Maneuvering Entry) was a small uncrewed lifting body re-entry vehicle tested by the United States Air Force in the late 1960s. PRIME 1 was launched on 21 December 1966 on a mission to simulate a low-earth orbit reentry with a zero cross-range. The ballute deployed at 30.43 km, though the recovery parachute failed to completely deploy. The vehicle crashed into the Pacific Ocean and was not recovered.
Mission Type
Test Flight
Orbit
Suborbital (Sub)
Probability
N/A
Status
Launch Successful
Vehicle & Pad
/02Rocket
Atlas SLV-3
Variant: SLV-3
Launch Pad
Space Launch Complex 3E
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
34.640° N, 120.590° W
13
Pad Launches
244
Location Launches
371
Agency Launches
—
Orbital This Year