Atlas V Launches theOrbital Test Vehicle-1Mission Overview

Atlas V 501Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FLSpace Launch Complex 41

United Launch (ULA) Alliance is proud to support the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) with the firstlaunch of the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV).

The OTV, also known as the X-37B, supports space experimentation, risk reduction, and concept of opera-tions (CONOPS) development for long duration and reusable space vehicle technologies.

My thanks to the entire Atlas team for its dedication in bringing the OTV to launch, and to the RCO forselecting Atlas for this ground breaking mission.

Go Atlas, Go Centaur, Go OTV!

Mark WilkinsVice President, Atlas Product Line

Atlas V/OTV-1

1

Atlas V 501 VehicleConfiguration Overview

The Atlas V 501 configuration consists of a single Atlas V booster stage and the Centaur upper stage.

The Atlas V booster is 12.5 ft in diameter and 106.5 ft long. The booster’s tanks are structurally stable and constructed of isogridaluminum barrels, spun-formed aluminum domes, and intertank skirts. Atlas booster propulsion is provided by the RD-180 enginesystem (a single engine with two thrust chambers). The RD-180 burns RP-1 (Rocket Propellant-1 or highly purified kerosene) andliquid oxygen, and delivers 860,200 lb of thrust at sea level. The Atlas V booster is controlled by the Centaur avionics system thatprovides guidance, flight control, and vehicle sequencing functions during the booster and Centaur phases of flight.

The Centaur upper stage is 10 ft in diameter and 41.5 ft long. Its propellant tanks are constructed of pressure-stabilized, corrosionresistant stainless steel. Centaur is a liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen- (cryogenic-) fueled vehicle. It uses a single RL10A-4-2 engineproducing 22,300 lb of thrust. The cryogenic tanks are insulated with a combination of helium-purged insulation blankets, radiationshields, and closed-cell foam insulation. The Centaur forward adapter (CFA) provides the structural mountings for vehicle electronicsand the structural and electronic interfaces with the spacecraft.

The OTV mission is encapsulated within the Atlas V 5-meter-diameter short payload fairing (PLF). The 5-meter PLF is a bisector PLFwith a composite structure made from sandwich panels with carbon fiber face sheets and a vented aluminum honeycomb core. The5-meter PLF is comprised of two major components: the lower section, or base module, that encapsulates the Centaur, and the uppersection, or common payload module (CPM), that encapsulates the spacecraft. The Atlas V booster, Centaur, and the 5-meter payloadfairing boattail are attached by the 3.8-meter diameter Centaur interstage adapter (C-ISA). The C-ISA is a composite structure withgraphite epoxy facesheets over an aluminum honeycomb core.

2

Atlas V 501 Vehicle

PayloadFairing

Orbital Test Vehicle

Centaur

RL 10ACentaur Engine

CylindricalInterstageAdapter

CentaurInterstageAdapter

Atlas V Booster

RD-180 Engine

3

Centaur ConicalInterstage Adapter

Forward LoadReactor (FLR)

4

Atlas V Processing Overview

San Diego, CA

Centaur Tank FabricationFabrication

Denver, CO

Booster Fabrication & Final Assembly

Centaur Final Assembly

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL

Payload Processing & Encapsulation

Launch Vehicle Processing

Encapsulated Payload Mating

Launch

Harlingen, TX

Booster Adapter Fabrication

Centaur Adapter Fabrication

Zurich, Switzerland

5-meter Payload Fairing Manufactured at RUAG Space

5

Launch Site Processing Overview

VerticalIntegrationFacilityIntegration

Spacecraft Mate

Testing

Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC)Receiving & Inspection VIP Viewing

Launch Control Center ULA Offices

Communication Center Mission Director’s Center

Battery Lab ITAR Facility

Administrative Offices Conference Center

Material Stores Centaur

Booster

Interstage

Adapters

5-m

Payload

Fairing

Halves

Spacecraft

SLC-41Testing & Launch

Mobile Launch Platform

SpacecraftProcessingFacilityProcessing

Testing

Encapsulation

PayloadTransporter

Antonov AN-124

Antonov AN-124

Launch Site Overview

Space Launch Complex 41

Vertical IntegrationFacility (VIF)

Ordnance Annex

Atlas SpaceflightOperations Center

(ASOC)

CustomerSupportCenter(CSC)

Launch ControlCenter (LCC)

6

7

Launch Site Overview (concl’d)

Entry ControlBldg. (ECB) VIF

LaunchVehicle

CentaurLO2

MLP

LH2Storage

Area

Pad ECSShelter

RP-1Storage

Area

Ready RoomHigh PressureGas Storage

Booster LO2

GaseousHelium

ConversionPlant

Bridge CraneHammerhead

Bridge Crane

Pad SupportArea

PadEquipmentBldg. (PEB)

LaunchVehicle

PayloadVan

Southwest View of Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) South View of theVertical Integration

Facility (VIF)

MLP

Pad SupportArea

PadEquipmentBldg. (PEB)

8

OTV Flight Profile

AtlasBoostPhase

PLF & FLRJettison

Atlas/CentaurSeparation

Liftoff

Mission Overview:Developed by the United States Air Force, the X-37B OTV is the United States’ newest and mostadvanced re-entry spacecraft. Objectives of the autonomous, unmanned space test platform includespace experimentation, risk reduction, and CONOPS development for long duration and reusablespace vehicle technologies. The Boeing Company is the prime contractor for the OTV program andthe Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office is leading the initiative with continued participation by NASA.

Key objectives of the first flight include demonstration and validation of guidance, navigation andcontrol systems to include fault tolerant, autonomous re-entry and landing as well as lightweighthigh-temperature structures and landing gear. On-orbit tests of the thermal management, powercontrol and distribution, and attitude control subsystems are also planned objectives. VandenbergAir Force Base (AFB) will be the primary landing site, with Edwards AFB as a backup.

Centaur MES-1 Centaur MECO-1

9

Sequence of Events

Values Approximate

Time (seconds)Event

RD-180 engine ignitionLiftoffStart pitchover, turn to zero alpha Begin zero angle of attack flight Start alpha bias steeringEnable guidance steeringPayload fairing jettisonForward load reactor jettisonBooster engine cutoff (BECO)Atlas/Centaur separationCentaur first burn, main engine start (MES-1)Centaur first burn, main engine cutoff (MECO-1)

-2.71.1

19.052.3

122.4138.4219.4224.4264.9270.9280.9

1038.0

Atlas V Countdown (F-1 Day)

10

F-1 Day - MLP TRANSPORT TO PAD

Flight Control Preps

T-11:30 T-11:00 T-10:00 T-9:00 T-8:00 T-7:00 T-4:00

MLPMLP

Atlas/Atlas/

CentaurCentaur

Pneu, PropPneu, Prop

T-6:00 T-5:00

GC3 & GC3 &

RF / FTSRF / FTSTransport Preps Pad Connections

Flight Flight

ControlControl

T-3:00

Atlas Atlas

RPRP--11

RP-1 Tanking(If Required)

Transport Preps Pneumatic System Preps

Weather Brief Status Check Weather Brief Status Check

MLP Transport Preps MLP Roll MLP Connect

Start Count

MLP Hard Down

11

Atlas V Countdown (F-0 Day)

F-0 Day - LAUNCH

Weather Brief

T-2:00

Open Loop Test & Monitor Preps

Power Application, System Preps, Flight Control/Guidance Tests & Countdown Preps

Centaur LH2/LO2 Preps AtlasPropulsion/Hydraulic Preps

Storage Area Chilldown

T-1:00 T-:45 T-:30 T-:15 T-:04H

Flight ControlFinal Preps

PressurizeChilldown &

Tanking

T-0

:04

(T-4

) &

Hold

ing

Status Check Weather Brief Status Check

LAUNCH

T-3:00T-4:00T-5:00T-6:00T-6:20

Start

Count

GC3 &

RF / FTS

Flight

Control

Atlas/Atlas/

CentaurCentaur

Pneu,Pneu,

PropProp

ECS ECS GN2 Preps

All Systems

on GN2

Open/Closed Loop Tests

12

Notes

Copyright © 2010 United Launch Alliance, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Atlas is a Registered Trademark of Lockheed Martin Corporation. Used with Permission.

United Launch Alliance • P.O. Box 277005 Littleton, CO 80127-7005 • (720) 922-7100 • www.ulalaunch.com