Which booster was used to send the 1st American into orbit?
Orion abort modes NASA's newest spacecraft, the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), will be the first American spacecraft since Project Apollo to use an escape system in the event of a launch abort, something its predecessor, the Space Shuttle, had for only its first four orbital test flights in 1981-1982. Like the Apollo Command-Service Module (CSM), the Orion CEV will use the Launch escape system (LES), a solid-fueled tractor rocket that will be able to pull the Orion crew module away from a malfunctioning Space Launch System (SLS) rocket during the initial launch phase. Based on the launch escape system found on the Soviet/Russian Soyuz spacecraft, the LAS, designed and manufactured by ATK for the Orion CEV, will be larger than the Soyuz version and will have more thrust than the Atlas 109-D booster that carried astronaut John Glenn into orbit in 1962.
Terrier Orion The Terrier Orion sounding rocket is a combination of the Terrier booster rocket with the Orion rocket used as a second stage. This spin stabilized configuration is most often used by the Goddard Space Flight Center, who operate out of the Wallops Flight Facility for sounding rocket operations. The system supports payloads ranging from 200 to , and is capable of achieving altitudes as high as 200 km , but at least 80 km , depending on payload size.