I’m working on an alternate timeline premise that includes construction of the original five-engine Atlas ICBM. The following table is comprised of data drawn from the Standard Missile Characteristic sheets downloadable at http://www.alternatewars.com/SAC/SAC.htm. I’m no rocket scientist, and hope someone here can provide informed (and hopefully correct!) answers to the following questions:
1)What payload would the MX-1593 have been capable of placing into orbit?
2)Does the as-built Atlas have a greater warhead weight due to a superior thrust/weight ratio?
3)Which MX-1593 iteration should I choose? I’m puzzled the two have identical payloads despite the later model having lesser dry weight and greater thrust…
4)I realize the MX-1593’s performance specs are projections. In light of the as-built Atlas’, do they hold up, or were they overly optimistic?
5)Would contemporary technology have permitted an earlier prototype flight date for the MX-1593 than that prodicted, were the project have been assigned the highest priority?
MX-1593 20 AUG '53 MX-1593 9 DEC '53 ATLAS CGM-16F LENGTH 110 ' 108.7' 81.7' DIAMETER 12' 12' 10' BOOST THRUST 133,200 LB 133,400 LB 330,000 LB SUSTAINER THRUST 123,300 LB 123,300 LB 57,000 LB MAXIMUM THRUST 656,100 LB 660,900 LB 389,000 LB BOOSTER JETTISONED ~120 SECONDS 120 SECONDS 135 SECONDS SUSTAINTER CUTOFF ~260 SECONDS 266 SECONDS 281 SECONDS TOTAL THRUST DURATION 300 SECONDS VERNIER THRUST 2000 LB FUEL (JP-4) 134,000 LB 77,031 LB 22,500 GALLONS OXIDIZER 275,000 LB 275,000 LB 175,226 LB GLOW 440,100 LB 440,000 LB 267,136 LB DRY WEIGHT (W/ WARHEAD) 31,100 LB 27,905 LB 16,123 LB PROPELLANT WEIGHT 409,000 LB 409,095 LB 249,032 LB RESIDUAL PROPELLANT WEIGHT 1981 LB WARHEAD WEIGHT (5500 NM RANGE) 3000 LB 3000 LB 3825 LB WARHEAD WEIGHT (3250-4250 NM RANGE) 4500 LB 4500 LB WARHEAD WEIGHT (2000-3250 NM RANGE) 7000 LB 7000 LB MAXIMUM ALTITUDE 500 NM 500 NM 763 NM DESIGN INITIATED 19-Jan-51 19-Jan-51 DESIGN COMPLETE Dec-60 FIRST TEST FLIGHT Dec-55 Dec-56 Aug-61 PROTOTYPE FLIGHT Jul-58 1956 OPERATIONAL 1961
1)What payload would the MX-1593 have been capable of placing into orbit?
2)Does the as-built Atlas have a greater warhead weight due to a superior thrust/weight ratio?
3)Which MX-1593 iteration should I choose? I’m puzzled the two have identical payloads despite the later model having lesser dry weight and greater thrust…
4)I realize the MX-1593’s performance specs are projections. In light of the as-built Atlas’, do they hold up, or were they overly optimistic?
5)Would contemporary technology have permitted an earlier prototype flight date for the MX-1593 than that prodicted, were the project have been assigned the highest priority?
MX-1593 20 AUG '53 MX-1593 9 DEC '53 ATLAS CGM-16F LENGTH 110 ' 108.7' 81.7' DIAMETER 12' 12' 10' BOOST THRUST 133,200 LB 133,400 LB 330,000 LB SUSTAINER THRUST 123,300 LB 123,300 LB 57,000 LB MAXIMUM THRUST 656,100 LB 660,900 LB 389,000 LB BOOSTER JETTISONED ~120 SECONDS 120 SECONDS 135 SECONDS SUSTAINTER CUTOFF ~260 SECONDS 266 SECONDS 281 SECONDS TOTAL THRUST DURATION 300 SECONDS VERNIER THRUST 2000 LB FUEL (JP-4) 134,000 LB 77,031 LB 22,500 GALLONS OXIDIZER 275,000 LB 275,000 LB 175,226 LB GLOW 440,100 LB 440,000 LB 267,136 LB DRY WEIGHT (W/ WARHEAD) 31,100 LB 27,905 LB 16,123 LB PROPELLANT WEIGHT 409,000 LB 409,095 LB 249,032 LB RESIDUAL PROPELLANT WEIGHT 1981 LB WARHEAD WEIGHT (5500 NM RANGE) 3000 LB 3000 LB 3825 LB WARHEAD WEIGHT (3250-4250 NM RANGE) 4500 LB 4500 LB WARHEAD WEIGHT (2000-3250 NM RANGE) 7000 LB 7000 LB MAXIMUM ALTITUDE 500 NM 500 NM 763 NM DESIGN INITIATED 19-Jan-51 19-Jan-51 DESIGN COMPLETE Dec-60 FIRST TEST FLIGHT Dec-55 Dec-56 Aug-61 PROTOTYPE FLIGHT Jul-58 1956 OPERATIONAL 1961
