Atlas VExpendable launch systemAtlas V is an expendable launch system and the fifth major version in the Atlas launch vehicle family. It was developed by Lockheed Martin and has been operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA) since 2006. Primarily used to launch payloads for the United States Department of Defense, NASA, and commercial customers, Atlas V is the longest-serving active rocket in the United States. Each Atlas V vehicle consists of two main stages.
Launch vehicleA launch vehicle is typically a rocket-powered vehicle designed to carry a payload (a crewed spacecraft or satellites) from Earth's surface or lower atmosphere to outer space. The most common form is the ballistic missile-shaped multistage rocket, but the term is more general and also encompasses vehicles like the Space Shuttle. Most launch vehicles operate from a launch pad, supported by a launch control center and systems such as vehicle assembly and fueling.
Nose coneA nose cone is the conically shaped forwardmost section of a rocket, guided missile or aircraft, designed to modulate oncoming airflow behaviors and minimize aerodynamic drag. Nose cones are also designed for submerged watercraft such as submarines, submersibles and torpedoes, and in high-speed land vehicles such as rocket cars and velomobiles.
PayloadCarrying capacity of a vehicle Payload is the object or the entity that is being carried by an aircraft or launch vehicle. Sometimes payload also refers to the carrying capacity of an aircraft or launch vehicle, usually measured in terms of weight. Depending on the nature of the flight or mission, the payload of a vehicle may include cargo, passengers, flight crew, munitions, scientific instruments or experiments, or other equipment.
Proton-MRussian heavy lift launcher which uses hypergolic fuelProton-M (Протон-М, GRAU index8K82M or 8K82KM) is an expendable Russian heavy-lift launch vehicle derived from the Soviet-developed Proton. It is built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81/24 and 200/39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. First launched in 2001, the rocket has flown 116 launches with 105 successes.
Heat shieldIn engineering, a heat shield is a component designed to protect an object or a human operator from being burnt or overheated by dissipating, reflecting, and/or absorbing heat. The term is most often used in reference to exhaust heat management and to systems for dissipating frictional heat. Heat shields are used most commonly in the automotive and aerospace industries.
Outer spaceVoid between celestial bodiesFor other uses, see Outer space (other).Being essentially empty, outer space allows the earliest (redder) galaxies to be viewed without obstruction, as in the Webb's First Deep Field image.Outer space, or simply space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth's atmosphere and between celestial bodies.
AtmosphereAn atmosphere is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. The name originates from Ancient Greek ἀτμός (atmós) 'vapour, steam' and σφαῖρα (sphaîra) 'sphere'. An object acquires most of its atmosphere during its primordial epoch, either by accretion of matter or by outgassing of volatiles.
Aerodynamic heatingAerodynamic heating is the heating of a solid body produced by its high-speed passage through air. In science and engineering, an understanding of aerodynamic heating is necessary for predicting the behaviour of meteoroids which enter the Earth's atmosphere, to ensure spacecraft safely survive atmospheric reentry, and for the design of high-speed aircraft and missiles.
Dynamic pressureIn fluid dynamics, dynamic pressure (denoted by q or Q and sometimes called velocity pressure) is the quantity defined by: q=12ρu2{\displaystyle q={\frac {1}{2}} ho \,u^{2}}where (in SI units): q is the dynamic pressure in pascals (i.e., N/m),ρ (Greek letter rho) is the fluid mass density (e.g. in kg/m), andu is the flow speed in m/s.It can be thought of as the fluid's kinetic energy per unit volume.
Bivalve shellA bivalve shell is the enveloping exoskeleton or shell of a bivalve mollusc, composed of two hinged halves or valves. The two half-shells, called the "right valve" and "left valve", are joined by a ligament and usually articulate with one another using structures known as "teeth" which are situated along the hinge line.
CleanroomA cleanroom or clean room is an engineered space that maintains a very low concentration of airborne particulates. It is well-isolated, well-controlled from contamination, and actively cleansed. Such rooms are commonly needed for scientific research and in industrial production for all nanoscale processes, such as semiconductor device manufacturing.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.