Washington, DC Oct. 10, 1997 – Lockheed Martin space officials, buoyed by their first successful launch in the LMLV small launcher family, have decided to rename the rocket series Athena, after the Greek goddess of wisdom, intellect, invention, industry as well as skill. The city of Athens was named in her honor, and Lockmart's Dr. Ray Colladay, head of the company's Astronautics Division, said the choice was made "because her attributes match those demonstrated by our team" in creating the new booster family.
The rocket is available in two versions. The Athena 1, a two-stage
expendable vehicle made up of Thiokol solid fuel rocket motors, can lift
1,750 lbs. to low earth orbit, slightly larger than the Orbital Sciences
Corp. winged Pegasus XL. The Athena II,a three stage launcher, can lift up
to 4,350 lbs. It would compete against Orbital's Taurus rocket. The Athena
II gets much of its payload lifting increase over its smaller cousin by the
addition of additional motors. Some six launches in the Athena series are
manifested through 1999, with the next flight set to lift the NASA Lunar
Prospector up from Cape Canaveral's Pad 46 in November, using the Athena II
version.
LockMart
