Delta 3000
Encyclopedia
The Delta 3000 series was an American
expendable launch system
which was used to conduct thirty five orbit
al launches between 1975 and 1989. It was a member of the Delta family of rockets. Several variants existed, which were differentiated by a four digit numerical code.
The first stage was the RS-27 powered Extended Long Tank Thor, first flown on the 2000-series
. Three or nine Castor-4 solid rocket booster
s were attached to increase thrust at lift-off, replacing the less powerful Castor-2 boosters used on earlier models. Two second stages were available; the Delta P, which had been flown on several older variants, or the Delta-K
, an uprated version. Some launches used a three-stage configuration in order to reach higher orbits. A Star-37D, Star-37E, or Star-48B PAM-D
could be used as an upper stage. Launches with PAM-D upper stages were designated Delta 3XX0 PAM-D, rather than assigning a code to the upper stage for use in the four-digit sequence. From the 4000-series
onwards, the PAM-D received the upper stage code "5", however this was not applied retrospectively to 3000-series rockets, which were still in service at the time.
The Delta 3000 was launched from Space Launch Complex 2W
at Vandenberg AFB and Launch Complex 17A and B
at Cape Canaveral
. Of the thirty five launches, two failed, and one resulted in a partial failure. The failures resulted in the loss of the Orbital Test Satellite
, when an SRM malfunction caused the rocket to explode, and GOES-G due to an electrical fault which shut down the first stage engine. The partial failure was due to the premature cutoff of the first stage, which left the Dynamics Explorer
spacecraft in a lower orbit than planned.
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...
which was used to conduct thirty five orbit
Orbit
In physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System...
al launches between 1975 and 1989. It was a member of the Delta family of rockets. Several variants existed, which were differentiated by a four digit numerical code.
The first stage was the RS-27 powered Extended Long Tank Thor, first flown on the 2000-series
Delta 2000
The Delta 2000 series was an American expendable launch system which was used to conduct forty-four orbital launches between 1974 and 1981. It was a member of the Delta family of rockets. Several variants existed, which were differentiated by a four digit numerical code.The first stage was an...
. Three or nine Castor-4 solid rocket booster
Solid rocket booster
Solid rocket boosters or Solid Rocket Motors, SRM, are used to provide thrust in spacecraft launches from the launchpad up to burnout of the SRBs. Many launch vehicles include SRBs, including the Ariane 5, Atlas V , and the NASA Space Shuttle...
s were attached to increase thrust at lift-off, replacing the less powerful Castor-2 boosters used on earlier models. Two second stages were available; the Delta P, which had been flown on several older variants, or the Delta-K
Delta-K
The Delta-K is an American rocket stage, used as the second stage of several variants of the Delta rocket.As of 25 May 2008, 138 have been launched, and excluding one which was destroyed by the explosion of a lower stage, none have failed....
, an uprated version. Some launches used a three-stage configuration in order to reach higher orbits. A Star-37D, Star-37E, or Star-48B PAM-D
Payload Assist Module
frame|PAM-D with the [[Phoenix |Phoenix]] spacecraft. The [[Star 48|Star 48-B]] engine is shown being spun, fired, [[Yo-yo de-spin|yo-yo de-spun]] and jettisoned.thumb|SBS-3 satellite with PAM-D stage inside the space shuttle...
could be used as an upper stage. Launches with PAM-D upper stages were designated Delta 3XX0 PAM-D, rather than assigning a code to the upper stage for use in the four-digit sequence. From the 4000-series
Delta 4000
The Delta 4000 series was an American expendable launch system which was used to conduct two orbital launches in 1989 and 1990. It was a member of the Delta family of rockets. Although several variants were put forward, only the Delta 4925 was launched. The designations used a four digit numerical...
onwards, the PAM-D received the upper stage code "5", however this was not applied retrospectively to 3000-series rockets, which were still in service at the time.
The Delta 3000 was launched from Space Launch Complex 2W
Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 2
Space Launch Complex 2 is an active rocket launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base, in California, USA. It consists of two launch pads. The East pad , which has been demolished, was used for Delta, Thor-Agena and Thorad launches between 1966 and 1972...
at Vandenberg AFB and Launch Complex 17A and B
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 17 , previously designated Launch Complex 17 , was a launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida used for Thor and Delta rocket launches between 1958 and 2011....
at Cape Canaveral
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...
. Of the thirty five launches, two failed, and one resulted in a partial failure. The failures resulted in the loss of the Orbital Test Satellite
Orbital Test Satellite
The Orbital Test Satellite programme was an experimental satellite system inherited by the ESA in 1975 from its predecessor, the European Space Research Organization ....
, when an SRM malfunction caused the rocket to explode, and GOES-G due to an electrical fault which shut down the first stage engine. The partial failure was due to the premature cutoff of the first stage, which left the Dynamics Explorer
Dynamics Explorer
Dynamics Explorer was a NASA mission, launched on August 3, 1981 and terminated on February 28, 1991. It consisted of two unmanned satellites, DE-1 and DE-2, whose purpose was to investigate the interractions between plasmas in the magnetosphere and those in the ionosphere...
spacecraft in a lower orbit than planned.