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| An Atlas-Centaur 6 launch cover from "SpaceCraft Swanson", postmarked at Cape Canaveral with a machine cancel on August 11, 1965, signed by Roll Duff Ginter, the Centaur Program Manager. |
Atlas-Centaur 6 (AC-6) was a NASA developmental flight launched on August 11, 1965, carrying a simulated Surveyor lunar lander. The successful mission demonstrated the Atlas-Centaur’s ability to place a Surveyor-type payload on a precise simulated lunar trajectory, paving the way for the Surveyor lunar missions and supporting NASA’s preparations for Apollo. Its success was particularly significant following the catastrophic launch-pad explosion of the previous Atlas-Centaur 5 (AC-5) in March 1965, which had severely damaged the launch complex. AC-6 successfully demonstrated the Atlas-Centaur’s operational capability and restored confidence in the vehicle, paving the way for the Surveyor lunar missions that supported NASA’s preparations for Apollo.
