The remarkable story of the Atlas rocket began as an Army Air Force proposal in 1945, to build the first long range (5,500 mile) ballistic missile weapon launch device. With guidance from Karel “Charlie” Bossart, Consolidated Vultee’s head of the project development team, the unique “pressure stabilized hull” construction began. It culminated in the first successful Atlas launch vehicle, SM-65, accepted by the Air Force in 1956. After considerable operational testing, it was replaced by the updated SM-65D, which was armed and deployed to 11 silos around the country in 1959. The Atlas is best known as the launch vehicle for the manned Mercury missions beginning with John Glenn’s “Friendship 7” in 1962. To date there have been over 650 missions, and counting, flown by the early Atlas and subsequent derivatives since the inception of the program.
Inducted in 2017.
Portrait Location: Hall of Fame Hallway

Induction Video