United States Air Force

PRIME 1

Atlas SLV-3

SUCCESS
Success

Wednesday, December 21, 1966 · 22:15 UTC

Mission

/01

The 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

/02

Rocket

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

← Back to Launches