From Pluto exploration to carrying people toward the ISS.
Atlas V retains a historic name but uses an architecture very different from the Atlas rockets of Mercury. Introduced in 2002, it mainly carries satellites and robotic probes.
Its missions include New Horizons to Pluto and several Mars spacecraft. Different configurations adapt the booster count and payload fairing to the spacecraft's mass and destination.
In June 2024, Atlas V launches people for the first time aboard Boeing's Starliner capsule. The launcher, the capsule and the spacecraft's test mission are separate things.
Selected representative missions; crew names belong to the flight shown.
New Horizons begins its uncrewed journey toward Pluto and subsequently the Kuiper Belt.
Wilmore and Williams travel to space in Starliner's crewed test; Atlas V provides the launch.
Dates follow the days reported by the source agencies, generally in local time; the UTC day can differ. Crews belong to the selected missions, not every flight in the family.
This versatility connects robotic exploration with crew transport while preserving the different requirements of each.
First flight or first test of the family, including unsuccessful or suborbital attempts.
