Commercial Titan III
Encyclopedia
The Commercial Titan III, also known as CT-3 or CT-III was an American
expendable launch system
, developed by Martin Marietta
during the late 1980s and flown four times during the early 1990s. It was derived from the Titan 34D
, and was originally proposed as a medium-lift expendable launch system for the US Air Force, who selected the Delta II
instead. Development was continued as a commercial launch system, and the first rocket flew in 1990. Due to higher costs than contemporary rockets such as the Ariane 4
, orders were not forthcoming, and the CT-3 was retired in 1992.
The Commercial Titan III differed from the Titan 34D in that it had a stretched second stage, and a larger payload fairing to accommodate dual satellite payloads.
All four launches occurred from LC-40
at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
. The first carried two communications satellite
s, Skynet 4A and JCSAT-2, and was launched at 00:07 GMT on 1 January 1990, which was 19:07 local time
on 31 December 1989, making it the only orbital launch to have occurred in different years between the launch site and GMT. The launch received the International Designator
1990-001, using the GMT date.
The second launch occurred on 14 March, and carried the Intelsat 603
satellite. The rocket's second stage failed to separate, and the payload could only be released from the rocket by means of jettisoning its kick motor. It was later visited by , on mission STS-49
. Astronauts attached a new kick motor, which raised the satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, as had originally been planned. The third launch, on 23 June, carried Intelsat 604
, and was successful. There were no CT-3 launches in 1991, due to maintenance work at Launch Complex 40. The final flight of the Commercial Titan III occurred on 25 September 1992, and placed NASA's
Mars Observer
spacecraft into heliocentric orbit
, by means of a Transfer Orbit Stage
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
expendable launch system
Expendable launch system
An expendable launch system is a launch system that uses an expendable launch vehicle to carry a payload into space. The vehicles used in expendable launch systems are designed to be used only once , and their components are not recovered for re-use after launch...
, developed by Martin Marietta
Martin Marietta
Martin Marietta Corporation was an American company founded in 1961 through the merger of The Martin Company and American-Marietta Corporation. The combined company became a leader in chemicals, aerospace, and electronics. In 1995, it merged with Lockheed Corporation to form Lockheed Martin. The...
during the late 1980s and flown four times during the early 1990s. It was derived from the Titan 34D
Titan 34D
The Titan 34D was an American rocket, used to launch a number of satellites for mostly military applications. After its retirement from military service, a small number were converted to the Commercial Titan III configuration, which included a stretched second stage, and a larger fairing...
, and was originally proposed as a medium-lift expendable launch system for the US Air Force, who selected the Delta II
Delta II
Delta II was an American space launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II is part of the Delta rocket family and was in service from 1989 until November 1, 2011...
instead. Development was continued as a commercial launch system, and the first rocket flew in 1990. Due to higher costs than contemporary rockets such as the Ariane 4
Ariane 4
Ariane 4 was an expendable launch system, designed by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales and manufactured and marketed by its subsidiary Arianespace. Ariane 4 was justly known as the ‘workhorse’ of the Ariane family. Since its first flight on 15 June 1988 until the last, on 15 February 2003, it...
, orders were not forthcoming, and the CT-3 was retired in 1992.
The Commercial Titan III differed from the Titan 34D in that it had a stretched second stage, and a larger payload fairing to accommodate dual satellite payloads.
All four launches occurred from LC-40
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 40
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 , previously Launch Complex 40 is a launch pad at the north end of Cape Canaveral, Florida...
at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...
. The first carried two communications satellite
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
s, Skynet 4A and JCSAT-2, and was launched at 00:07 GMT on 1 January 1990, which was 19:07 local time
Eastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time may refer to:*North American Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5*Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10*An album by Hip Hop group Kooley High...
on 31 December 1989, making it the only orbital launch to have occurred in different years between the launch site and GMT. The launch received the International Designator
International Designator
The International Designator, also known as COSPAR designation, and in the United States as NSSDC ID, is an international naming convention for satellites...
1990-001, using the GMT date.
The second launch occurred on 14 March, and carried the Intelsat 603
Intelsat VI
The Intelsat VI series of satellites were the 8th generation of geostationary communications satellites for the Intelsat Corporation. Designed and built by Hughes Aircraft Company in 1983-1991, there were five VI-series satellites built 601, 602, 603, 604, and 605.- Design :The Intelsat VI...
satellite. The rocket's second stage failed to separate, and the payload could only be released from the rocket by means of jettisoning its kick motor. It was later visited by , on mission STS-49
STS-49
-Mission parameters:*Mass:**Orbiter landing with payload: **Payload: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 28.35°*Period: 90.6 min-Space walks:* Thuot and Hieb – EVA 1*EVA 1 Start: 10 May 1992 – 20:40 UTC...
. Astronauts attached a new kick motor, which raised the satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, as had originally been planned. The third launch, on 23 June, carried Intelsat 604
Intelsat VI
The Intelsat VI series of satellites were the 8th generation of geostationary communications satellites for the Intelsat Corporation. Designed and built by Hughes Aircraft Company in 1983-1991, there were five VI-series satellites built 601, 602, 603, 604, and 605.- Design :The Intelsat VI...
, and was successful. There were no CT-3 launches in 1991, due to maintenance work at Launch Complex 40. The final flight of the Commercial Titan III occurred on 25 September 1992, and placed NASA's
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Mars Observer
Mars Observer
The Mars Observer spacecraft, also known as the Mars Geoscience/Climatology Orbiter, was a 1,018-kilogram robotic space probe launched by NASA on September 25, 1992 to study the Martian surface, atmosphere, climate and magnetic field...
spacecraft into heliocentric orbit
Heliocentric orbit
A heliocentric orbit is an orbit around the Sun. All planets, comets, and asteroids in our Solar System are in such orbits, as are many artificial probes and pieces of debris. The moons of planets in the Solar System, by contrast, are not in heliocentric orbits as they orbit their respective planet...
, by means of a Transfer Orbit Stage
Transfer orbit stage
The Transfer Orbit Stage was an upper stage developed by Martin Marietta for Orbital Sciences Corporation during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The TOS was designed to be a lower-cost alternative to Inertial Upper Stage and Centaur upper stages...
.