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Centaur
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Black-and-white image: rocket launch.
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Centaur

launch vehicle
Also known as: Atlas-Centaur
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Black-and-white image: rocket launch.
AC-6 Atlas-Centaur rocket Launch of the AC-6 Atlas-Centaur rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, Aug. 11, 1965, which placed a dynamic model of the Surveyor spacecraft into a simulated lunar transfer orbit.

The Centaur is an American upper stage for launch vehicles, notable for being the first U.S. rocket stage to use cryogenic propellant. It has been used with both the Atlas and Titan launch vehicles. Early missions using the Atlas-Centaur included sending Surveyor spacecraft to the Moon. When paired with powerful Titan rockets, the Centaur stage has been instrumental in launching spacecraft to Mars and the outer planets, as well as deploying heavy national security payloads. Its development reflects a continuous effort to improve launch vehicle performance, reduce costs, and increase reliability.12

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. launch vehicle - Upper stages
  2. Atlas

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