Delta IV rocket
Encyclopedia
Delta IV is an active expendable launch system
in the Delta rocket family. Delta IV uses rocket
s designed by Boeing
's Integrated Defense Systems division
and built in the United Launch Alliance
(ULA) facility in Decatur, Alabama
. Final assembly is completed at the launch site by ULA. The rockets were designed to launch payloads into orbit for the United States Air Force Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program and commercial satellite business. Delta IV rockets are available in five versions: Medium, Medium+ (4,2), Medium+ (5,2), Medium+ (5,4), and Heavy, which are tailored to suit specific payload size and weight ranges. Delta IV was primarily designed to satisfy the needs of the U.S. military.
The rockets are assembled at the Horizontal Integration Facility
for launches from SLC-37B at Cape Canaveral
, and in a similar facility for launches from SLC-6
at Vandenberg AFB
.
Comparable rockets:
Atlas V
-
Ariane 5
-
Chang Zheng 5 -
Angara -
H-IIB
-
Proton -
Falcon 9
s (CBC) powered by a Rocketdyne
RS-68
engine. Unlike many first-stage rocket engines, which use solid fuel or kerosene
, the RS-68 engines burn liquid hydrogen
and liquid oxygen
. The CBC was the first large rocket to lift off using this propellant combination exclusively.
In 2002 the RS-68 became the first large, liquid-fueled rocket engine designed in the U.S. since the Space Shuttle Main Engine
(SSME) in the 1970s. The primary goal for the RS-68 was to reduce cost versus the SSME. Some sacrifice in chamber pressure and specific impulse
was made, hurting efficiency; however, development time, part count, total cost, and assembly labor were reduced to a fraction of the SSME, despite the RS-68's significantly larger size. Typically, the RS-68 runs at 102% rated thrust for the first few minutes of flight, and then throttles down to 58% rated thrust before main engine cutoff. On the Heavy variant, the core CBC's engine throttles down to 58% rated thrust around 50 seconds after liftoff, while the strap-on CBCs remain at 102%. This allows the core CBC to conserve propellant and burn longer. After the strap-on CBCs separate, the core CBC's engine throttles back up to 102% before throttling back down to 58% prior to main engine cutoff.
The RS-68 engine is mounted to the lower thrust structure of the vehicle by a four-legged (quadrapod) thrust frame, and enclosed in a protective composite conical thermal shield. Above the thrust structure is an aluminum isogrid
(a grid pattern machined out of the inside of the tank to reduce weight) liquid hydrogen tank, followed by a composite
cylinder called the centerbody, an aluminum isogrid liquid oxygen tank, and a forward skirt. Along the back of the CBC is a cable tunnel to hold electrical and signal lines, and a tube to carry the liquid oxygen to the RS-68 from the tank. The CBC is of a constant, 5-meter, diameter.
and either stretched (in 4-meter variants), or have a larger diameter (5-meter variants). The second stage is powered by a Pratt & Whitney
RL-10B2 engine, which features an extendable carbon-carbon nozzle to improve specific impulse. Depending on variant, two different interstages are used to mate the first and second stages. A tapering interstage which narrows down from 5-meters to 4-meters in diameter is used on 4-meter variants, where a cylindrical interstage is used on 5-meter variants. Both interstages are built from composites.
Redundant Inertial Flight Control Assembly (RIFCA) guidance system used on the Delta IV is common to that carried on the Delta II, although the software is different because of the differences between the Delta II and Delta IV. The RIFCA features six ring laser gyroscopes and accelerometer
s each, to provide a higher degree of reliability.
derived 5-meter, aluminum isogrid payload fairing is also available for the Heavy.
At over 63 meters in length, the Delta IV has been the tallest rocket in active use since 2002; taller than the Titan IV
, Atlas V
, Ariane 5
, Long March 5, Proton rocket
, Buran
and Space Shuttle
second stage, an optional Thiokol
Star 48B third stage, and the Delta II payload fairing, all atop a single CBC. The Small variant was dropped by 1999. This was probably because the Delta II has a similar payload capability.
The Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) (Delta 9240) is similar to the Medium, but uses two Alliant
-built 1.5-m (60-in) diameter solid rocket strap-on Graphite-Epoxy Motor
s (GEM-60s) to increase payload capacity to 5,845 kg (12,890 lb) to GTO.
The Delta IV Medium+ (5,2) (Delta 9250) is similar to the Medium+ (4,2), but has a 5-m–diameter payload fairing for larger payloads and a modified second stage with a 5-meter liquid hydrogen tank and stretched liquid oxygen tank. Because of the extra weight of the larger payload fairing and second stage, the Medium+ (5,2) can launch 4,640 kg (10,230 lb) to GTO, less than the Medium+ (4,2).
The Delta IV Medium+ (5,4) (Delta 9450) is similar to the Medium+ (5,2), but uses four GEM-60s instead of two, enabling it to lift 6,565 kg (14,475 lb) to GTO.
The Delta IV Heavy (Delta 9250H) is similar to the Medium+ (5,2), except that it uses two additional CBCs instead of using GEMs. These are strap-on boosters which are separated earlier in the flight than the center CBC. The Delta IV Heavy also features a stretched 5-meter composite payload fairing. An aluminum trisector (3 part) fairing derived from the Titan IV
fairing is also available. This was first used on the DSP-23 flight.
Capacity (separated spacecraft mass) of the Delta IV Heavy:
The Heavy's total mass at launch is approximately 733,000 kg, much less than that of the Space Shuttle
(2,040,000 kg).
Possible future upgrades for the Delta IV include adding extra strap-on solid motors to boost capacity, higher-thrust main engines, lighter materials, higher-thrust second stages, more (up to six) strap-on CBCs, and a cryogenic propellant cross feed from strap on boosters to the common core. These modifications could potentially increase the mass of the payload delivered to LEO to 100 tonnes.
At one point NASA planned to use Delta IV to launch a Crew Exploration Vehicle
. But with the CEV changed from a winged spacecraft to an Apollo-like capsule with the Ares I
launch vehicle, based on Space Shuttle components. After the change only the Delta IV's RS-68 engine was considered by NASA for the new cryogenically fueled Ares V
rocket. Then on August 8, 2011 NASA announced that a Delta IV Heavy rocket will launch the Orion
Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle
on an unmanned test flight, known as OFT-1, in July 2013.
In 2009 The Aerospace Corporation
reported to NASA results of study intended to determine the feasibility of modifying Delta IV to be human-rated
for use in NASA human spaceflight
missions. According to Aviation Week the study, "found that a Delta IV heavy [...] could meet NASA's requirements for getting humans to low Earth orbit."
The possibility of an extra-heavy variant was indicated in a 2006 RAND Corporation study of national security launch requirements out to 2020, which noted, "...only the Delta IV Heavy has the performance to lift the ten NSS launch requirements that require a heavy-lift capability... the production capacity for Delta IV, with one possible exception, can satisfy the entire projected NSS launch demand. The exception involves the requirement to increase the Delta IV Heavy lift capability to accommodate a single NRO (National Reconnaissance Office
) payload. The best solution to this requirement is currently under study."
An upgrade of the Delta IV Heavy, using the higher-performance RS-68A engine, is under development with initial availability in early 2011. This upgrade is planned to provide a roughly 13% improvement in payload capability to GTO. The new RS-68A is also planned to be used throughout the entire Delta IV family, where at 106% thrust it will provide a roughly 7–11% improvement in GTO payload (although this higher power level may require structural changes; running the engine at the current 102% produces a smaller improvement but requires less modification).
Another possible upgrade to the Delta IV family is the creation of new variants by the addition of extra solid motors. One such modification, the Medium+(4,4), would pair the four GEM-60s of the M+(5,4) with the upper stage and fairing of the (4,2). This would theoretically provide a GTO payload of 7,500 kg (16,600 lb) and an LEO payload of 14,800 kg (32,700 lb). This is the simplest variant to implement and is available within 36 months of the first order. Two other possible versions, the Medium+(5,6) and (5,8), would add two or four extra GEM-60s to the (5,4) variant, respectively. These would provide significantly higher performance (up to 9,200 kg/20,200 lb to GTO for the M+(5,8)) but would require more extensive modifications to the vehicle, such as adding the extra attach points and changes to cope with the different flight loads. They would also require pad and infrastructure changes. The Medium+(5,6) and (5,8) can be available within 48 months of the first order.
Delta IV launches occur from either of two rocket launch sites. On the East coast of the United States, Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. On the West coast, polar-orbit and high-inclination launches use Vandenberg Air Force Base
's Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) pad.
Launch facilities at both sites are similar. At the pad is a Mobile Service Tower (MST), which provides service access to the rocket and protection from the weather. There is a crane
at the top of the MST, which allows the payload and GEM-60 solid motors to be attached to the vehicle. The MST is rolled away from the rocket several hours before launch. At Vandenberg, the launch pad also has a Mobile Assembly Shelter (MAS), which completely encloses the vehicle; at CCAFS, the vehicle is partly exposed near its bottom.
Beside the vehicle is a Fixed Umbilical Tower (FUT), which has two (VAFB) or three (CCAFS) swing arms. These arms carry electrical, hydraulic, environmental control, and other support functions to the vehicle through umbilical lines. The swing arms retract at T-0 seconds to prevent them from hitting the vehicle.
Under the vehicle is a Launch Table, with six Tail Service Masts (TSMs), two for each CBC. The Launch Table supports the vehicle on the pad, and the TSMs provide further support and fueling functions for the CBCs. The vehicle is mounted to the Launch Table by a Launch Mate Unit (LMU), which is attached to the vehicle by bolts that sever at launch. Behind the Launch Table is a Fixed Pad Erector (FPE), which uses two long-stroke hydraulic pistons to raise the vehicle to the vertical position after being rolled to the pad from the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF). Beneath the Launch Table is a flame duct, which deflects the rocket's exhaust away from the rocket or facilities.
The Horizontal Integration Facility
(HIF) is situated some distance from the pad. It is a large building that allows the Delta IV CBCs and second stages to be mated and tested before they are moved to the pad. The horizontal rocket assembly of the Delta IV are similar to the ones with the assembly of Soyuz launch vehicles; they are also assembled horizontally, unlike the current Space Shuttles, the past Saturn launch vehicles and the upcoming Ares I
and Ares V
, where they are assembled and rolled out to the launch pad entirely vertically.
Movement of the Delta IVs among the various facilities at the pad is facilitated by Elevating Platform Transporters (EPTs). These rubber-tired vehicles can be powered by either diesel
engines or electric power. Diesel EPTs are used for moving the vehicles from the HIF to the pad, while electric EPTs are used in the HIF, where precision of movement is important.
The Delta IVs are assembled using a process that Boeing claims reduces cost and expensive on-pad time. The CBCs are built in Boeing's factory in Decatur, Alabama
. They are then loaded onto the M/V Delta Mariner, a roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel
, and shipped to either launch pad. There, they are offloaded and rolled into a Horizontal Integration Facility
(HIF), where they are mated with the second stages, which were shipped separately to the pad on the Delta Mariner. Also, in the HIF, the three CBCs of Heavy variant are mated to each other.
Various tests are performed, and then the vehicle is rolled horizontally to the pad, where the Fixed Pad Erector (FPE) is used to raise the vehicle to the vertical position, inside the MST. At this time, the GEM-60 solid motors, if any are required, are rolled to the pad and attached to the vehicle. After further testing, the payload (which has already been enclosed in its fairing) is transported to the pad, hoisted into the MST by a crane, and attached to the vehicle. Finally, on launch day, the MST is rolled away from the vehicle, and the vehicle is ready for launch.
increased the "cost plus award fee" contract with BLS for $1,656 million to extend the period of performance through the . In addition a $557.1 million option was added to cover FY10.
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The first payload launched with a Delta IV was the Eutelsat
W5 communications satellite. The launch vehicle was a Medium+ (4,2) variant, launched from Cape Canaveral. It carried the communications satellite into geostationary transfer orbit
(GTO) on November 20, 2002.
Heavy Demo was the first launch of the Heavy variant in December 2004 after significant delays due to bad weather. Due to cavitation
in the propellant lines, sensors registered depletion of propellant. The strap-on, and later core CBC engines shut down prematurely, even though sufficient propellant remained to continue the burn as scheduled. The second stage attempted to compensate for the under-burn, until it ran out of propellant. This flight was a test launch carrying a payload of:
NROL-22 was the first Delta IV launched from SLC-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB). It was launched aboard a Medium+ (4,2) in June 2006 carrying a classified satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office
(NRO).
DSP-23 was the first launch of a valuable payload aboard a Heavy vehicle. This was also the first Delta IV launch contracted by the United Launch Alliance
, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin
. The main payload was the 23rd and final Defense Support Program
missile-warning satellite, DSP-23. Launch from Cape Canaveral occurred at 01:50:00 GMT on November 11, 2007 (20:50 EST, November 10, 2007).
NROL-26 was the first "heavy" EELV launch for the NRO. It carried USA 202
, a classified reconnaissance satellite, on a Delta IV Heavy that lifted off January 18, 2009 at 02:47 UTC.
NROL-32 was a "Heavy" launch, carrying a satellite for NRO. The payload is speculated to be the largest satellite sent into space. The rocket lifted off on November 21, 2010 at 22:58 UTC; the launch was delayed from October 19.
NROL-49 lifted off at 1:10 p.m. PST from Vandenberg AFB on January 20, 2011. NROL-49 was the first Delta IV Heavy mission to be launched out of Vandenberg. This mission is an NRO mission and its details are classified.
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...
in the Delta rocket family. Delta IV uses rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
s designed by Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
's Integrated Defense Systems division
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems
Boeing Defense, Space & Security formerly known as Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a unit of The Boeing Company responsible for defense and aerospace products and services. Boeing Integrated Defense Systems was formed in 2002 by combining the former "Military Aircraft and Missile Systems"...
and built in the United Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. ULA was formed in December 2006 by combining the teams at these companies which provide spacecraft launch services to the government of the United States. U.S...
(ULA) facility in Decatur, Alabama
Decatur, Alabama
Decatur is a city in Limestone and Morgan Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The city, affectionately known as "The River City", is located in Northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake, along the Tennessee River. It is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County...
. Final assembly is completed at the launch site by ULA. The rockets were designed to launch payloads into orbit for the United States Air Force Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program and commercial satellite business. Delta IV rockets are available in five versions: Medium, Medium+ (4,2), Medium+ (5,2), Medium+ (5,4), and Heavy, which are tailored to suit specific payload size and weight ranges. Delta IV was primarily designed to satisfy the needs of the U.S. military.
The rockets are assembled at the Horizontal Integration Facility
Horizontal Integration Facility
A horizontal integration facility is a location within which the stages of a multistage rocket are brought together, before the assembled stack is rolled out to the launch pad or complex and raised into vertical position for launch....
for launches from SLC-37B 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...
, and in a similar facility for launches from SLC-6
Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 6
Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is a launch pad and support area. It was originally designed for the launching of the Titan III in support of the cancelled Manned Orbiting Laboratory, and was later rebuilt for the Space Shuttle, which also never used it due to...
at Vandenberg AFB
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
.
History
The Delta IV entered the space launch market at a period when global capacity was already much higher than demand. Furthermore, as an unproven design it has had difficulty finding a market in commercial launches, and the cost to launch a Delta IV is somewhat higher than that for competing vehicles. In 2003, Boeing pulled the Delta IV from the commercial market, citing low demand and high costs. In 2005, Boeing stated that it may return the Delta IV to commercial service; however no further announcements have been made regarding this. All but one of the first launches have been paid for by the U.S. Government, with a cost of between $140 million and $170 million.Comparable rockets:
Atlas V
Atlas V
Atlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance...
-
Ariane 5
Ariane 5
Ariane 5 is, as a part of Ariane rocket family, an expendable launch system used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit or low Earth orbit . Ariane 5 rockets are manufactured under the authority of the European Space Agency and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales...
-
Chang Zheng 5 -
Angara -
H-IIB
H-IIB
H-IIB is an expendable launch system used to launch H-II Transfer Vehicles towards the International Space Station. H-IIB rockets are liquid-fuelled with solid-fuel strap-on boosters and are launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan...
-
Proton -
Falcon 9
Falcon 9
Falcon 9 is a rocket-powered spaceflight launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of its two-stage-to-orbit vehicle use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants...
Delta IV first stage
The first stage of a Delta IV consists of one, or in the Heavy variety three, Common Booster CoreCommon Booster Core
The Common Booster Core is an American rocket stage, which is used on the Delta IV rocket as part of a modular rocket system. Delta IV rockets flying in the Medium and Medium+ configurations each use a single Common Booster Core as their first stage, whilst the Heavy configuration uses three; one...
s (CBC) powered by a Rocketdyne
Rocketdyne
Rocketdyne was a Rocket engine design and production company headquartered in Canoga Park, California, United States. The company was related to North American Aviation for most of its history. NAA merged with Rockwell International, which was then bought by Boeing in December, 1996...
RS-68
RS-68 (rocket engine)
The Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68 is a liquid-fuel rocket engine that burns liquid hydrogen with liquid oxygen . It is the largest hydrogen-fueled engine in the world. Development of the engine started in the 1990s with the goal of producing a simpler, less-costly, heavy-lift engine for the...
engine. Unlike many first-stage rocket engines, which use solid fuel or kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
, the RS-68 engines burn liquid hydrogen
Liquid hydrogen
Liquid hydrogen is the liquid state of the element hydrogen. Hydrogen is found naturally in the molecular H2 form.To exist as a liquid, H2 must be pressurized above and cooled below hydrogen's Critical point. However, for hydrogen to be in a full liquid state without boiling off, it needs to be...
and liquid oxygen
Liquid oxygen
Liquid oxygen — abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries — is one of the physical forms of elemental oxygen.-Physical properties:...
. The CBC was the first large rocket to lift off using this propellant combination exclusively.
In 2002 the RS-68 became the first large, liquid-fueled rocket engine designed in the U.S. since the Space Shuttle Main Engine
Space Shuttle main engine
The RS-25, otherwise known as the Space Shuttle Main Engine , is a reusable liquid-fuel rocket engine built by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne for the Space Shuttle, running on liquid hydrogen and oxygen. Each Space Shuttle was propelled by three SSMEs mated to one powerhead...
(SSME) in the 1970s. The primary goal for the RS-68 was to reduce cost versus the SSME. Some sacrifice in chamber pressure and specific impulse
Specific impulse
Specific impulse is a way to describe the efficiency of rocket and jet engines. It represents the derivative of the impulse with respect to amount of propellant used, i.e., the thrust divided by the amount of propellant used per unit time. If the "amount" of propellant is given in terms of mass ,...
was made, hurting efficiency; however, development time, part count, total cost, and assembly labor were reduced to a fraction of the SSME, despite the RS-68's significantly larger size. Typically, the RS-68 runs at 102% rated thrust for the first few minutes of flight, and then throttles down to 58% rated thrust before main engine cutoff. On the Heavy variant, the core CBC's engine throttles down to 58% rated thrust around 50 seconds after liftoff, while the strap-on CBCs remain at 102%. This allows the core CBC to conserve propellant and burn longer. After the strap-on CBCs separate, the core CBC's engine throttles back up to 102% before throttling back down to 58% prior to main engine cutoff.
The RS-68 engine is mounted to the lower thrust structure of the vehicle by a four-legged (quadrapod) thrust frame, and enclosed in a protective composite conical thermal shield. Above the thrust structure is an aluminum isogrid
Isogrid
An isogrid is a plate with triangular integral stiffening ribs . The stiffeners of an isogrid are generally machined from a single sheet of material with a milling machine, though below 0.004 in. thickness chemical milling processes must be used...
(a grid pattern machined out of the inside of the tank to reduce weight) liquid hydrogen tank, followed by a composite
Composite material
Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...
cylinder called the centerbody, an aluminum isogrid liquid oxygen tank, and a forward skirt. Along the back of the CBC is a cable tunnel to hold electrical and signal lines, and a tube to carry the liquid oxygen to the RS-68 from the tank. The CBC is of a constant, 5-meter, diameter.
Delta Cryogenic Second Stage
The upper stage of the Delta IV, or DCSS, is nearly identical to that of the Delta III, however the tanks are friction stir weldedFriction stir welding
Friction-stir welding is a solid-state joining process and is used for applications where the original metal characteristics must remain unchanged as far as possible...
and either stretched (in 4-meter variants), or have a larger diameter (5-meter variants). The second stage is powered by a Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
RL-10B2 engine, which features an extendable carbon-carbon nozzle to improve specific impulse. Depending on variant, two different interstages are used to mate the first and second stages. A tapering interstage which narrows down from 5-meters to 4-meters in diameter is used on 4-meter variants, where a cylindrical interstage is used on 5-meter variants. Both interstages are built from composites.
Guidance, navigation, control and communications
The L-3 CommunicationsL-3 Communications
L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. is a company that supplies command and control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems and products, avionics, ocean products, training devices and services, instrumentation, space, and navigation products. Its customers include...
Redundant Inertial Flight Control Assembly (RIFCA) guidance system used on the Delta IV is common to that carried on the Delta II, although the software is different because of the differences between the Delta II and Delta IV. The RIFCA features six ring laser gyroscopes and accelerometer
Accelerometer
An accelerometer is a device that measures proper acceleration, also called the four-acceleration. This is not necessarily the same as the coordinate acceleration , but is rather the type of acceleration associated with the phenomenon of weight experienced by a test mass that resides in the frame...
s each, to provide a higher degree of reliability.
Payload encapsulation
To encapsulate the satellite payload, a variety of different payload fairings are available. A stretched Delta III 4-meter composite payload fairing is used on 4-meter variants, where an enlarged, 5-meter composite fairing is used on 5-meter variants. A longer version of the latter is standard on the Heavy variant, and a Boeing-built Titan-IVTitan IV
The Titan IV family of space boosters were used by the U.S. Air Force. They were launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. At the time of its introduction, the Titan IV was the "largest unmanned space booster used by the Air Force."The...
derived 5-meter, aluminum isogrid payload fairing is also available for the Heavy.
At over 63 meters in length, the Delta IV has been the tallest rocket in active use since 2002; taller than the Titan IV
Titan IV
The Titan IV family of space boosters were used by the U.S. Air Force. They were launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. At the time of its introduction, the Titan IV was the "largest unmanned space booster used by the Air Force."The...
, Atlas V
Atlas V
Atlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance...
, Ariane 5
Ariane 5
Ariane 5 is, as a part of Ariane rocket family, an expendable launch system used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit or low Earth orbit . Ariane 5 rockets are manufactured under the authority of the European Space Agency and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales...
, Long March 5, Proton rocket
Proton rocket
Proton is an expendable launch system used for both commercial and Russian government space launches. The first Proton rocket was launched in 1965 and the launch system is still in use as of 2011, which makes it one of the most successful heavy boosters in the history of spaceflight...
, Buran
Buran
Buran may refer to:* Buran , a Soviet space shuttle** Buran program, which developed the spacecraft* Buran eavesdropping device, invented by Léon Theremin, used by soviet intelligence* Buran cruise missile, a Soviet cruise missile...
and Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
Delta IV Small
During the Delta IV's development, a Small variant was considered. This would have featured the Delta IIDelta 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...
second stage, an optional Thiokol
Thiokol
Thiokol is a U.S. corporation concerned initially with rubber and related chemicals, and later with rocket and missile propulsion systems...
Star 48B third stage, and the Delta II payload fairing, all atop a single CBC. The Small variant was dropped by 1999. This was probably because the Delta II has a similar payload capability.
Delta IV Medium
The Delta IV Medium (Delta 9040) is the most basic Delta IV. It features a single CBC and a modified Delta III second stage, with 4-meter liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks and a 4-meter payload fairing derived from the Delta III fairing. The Delta IV Medium is capable of launching 4,210 kg (9,285 lb) to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).The Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) (Delta 9240) is similar to the Medium, but uses two Alliant
Alliant Techsystems
Alliant Techsystems Inc., most commonly known by its ticker symbol, ', is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the United States with more than 18,000 employees in 22 states, Puerto Rico and internationally, and 2010 revenues in excess of an estimated...
-built 1.5-m (60-in) diameter solid rocket strap-on Graphite-Epoxy Motor
Graphite-Epoxy Motor
A Graphite-Epoxy Motor is a high-performance, solid rocket motor, used for supplemental thrust on several launch vehicles, including the Boeing Delta II and Delta IV. They are designed to allow launch vehicles to deliver larger payloads to orbit...
s (GEM-60s) to increase payload capacity to 5,845 kg (12,890 lb) to GTO.
The Delta IV Medium+ (5,2) (Delta 9250) is similar to the Medium+ (4,2), but has a 5-m–diameter payload fairing for larger payloads and a modified second stage with a 5-meter liquid hydrogen tank and stretched liquid oxygen tank. Because of the extra weight of the larger payload fairing and second stage, the Medium+ (5,2) can launch 4,640 kg (10,230 lb) to GTO, less than the Medium+ (4,2).
The Delta IV Medium+ (5,4) (Delta 9450) is similar to the Medium+ (5,2), but uses four GEM-60s instead of two, enabling it to lift 6,565 kg (14,475 lb) to GTO.
Delta IV Heavy
Titan IV
The Titan IV family of space boosters were used by the U.S. Air Force. They were launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. At the time of its introduction, the Titan IV was the "largest unmanned space booster used by the Air Force."The...
fairing is also available. This was first used on the DSP-23 flight.
Capacity (separated spacecraft mass) of the Delta IV Heavy:
- geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) 13,130 kg (28,950 lb), more than any other currently available launch vehicle.
- geosynchronous orbitGeosynchronous orbitA geosynchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth with an orbital period that matches the Earth's sidereal rotation period...
(GEO) 6,275 kg - escape orbit 9,306 kg
- C3Specific orbital energyIn the gravitational two-body problem, the specific orbital energy \epsilon\,\! of two orbiting bodies is the constant sum of their mutual potential energy and their total kinetic energy , divided by the reduced mass...
performance of 30 km²s−2: 5,228 kg - C3 performance of 60 km²s−2: 2,521 kg
The Heavy's total mass at launch is approximately 733,000 kg, much less than that of the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
(2,040,000 kg).
Future variants
At one point NASA planned to use Delta IV to launch a Crew Exploration Vehicle
Crew Exploration Vehicle
The Crew Exploration Vehicle was the conceptual component of the U.S. NASA Vision for Space Exploration that later became known as the Orion spacecraft...
. But with the CEV changed from a winged spacecraft to an Apollo-like capsule with the Ares I
Ares I
Ares I was the crew launch vehicle that was being developed by NASA as part of the Constellation Program. The name "Ares" refers to the Greek deity Ares, who is identified with the Roman god Mars...
launch vehicle, based on Space Shuttle components. After the change only the Delta IV's RS-68 engine was considered by NASA for the new cryogenically fueled Ares V
Ares V
The Ares V was the planned cargo launch component of the Constellation program, which was to have replaced the Space Shuttle after its retirement in 2011. Ares V was also planned to carry supplies for a human presence on Mars...
rocket. Then on August 8, 2011 NASA announced that a Delta IV Heavy rocket will launch the Orion
Orion (spacecraft)
Orion is a spacecraft designed by Lockheed Martin for NASA, the space agency of the United States. Orion development began in 2005 as part of the Constellation program, where Orion would fulfill the function of a Crew Exploration Vehicle....
Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle
Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle
The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle is a planned spacecraft that is being built by Lockheed Martin for NASA, the space agency of the United States, based on designs and tests already completed for the Orion spacecraft. The MPCV was announced by NASA on May 24, 2011...
on an unmanned test flight, known as OFT-1, in July 2013.
In 2009 The Aerospace Corporation
The Aerospace Corporation
The Aerospace Corporation is a private, non-profit corporation headquartered in El Segundo, California that has operated a Federally Funded Research and Development Center for the United States Air Force since 1960...
reported to NASA results of study intended to determine the feasibility of modifying Delta IV to be human-rated
Human-rating certification
Human-rated or man-rated are terms used to describe the certification of a spacecraft, launch vehicleor airplaneas worthy of transporting humans. NASA and the U.S. GAO now uses "Human-rating" when describing requirements for these systems...
for use in NASA human spaceflight
Human spaceflight
Human spaceflight is spaceflight with humans on the spacecraft. When a spacecraft is manned, it can be piloted directly, as opposed to machine or robotic space probes and remotely-controlled satellites....
missions. According to Aviation Week the study, "found that a Delta IV heavy [...] could meet NASA's requirements for getting humans to low Earth orbit."
The possibility of an extra-heavy variant was indicated in a 2006 RAND Corporation study of national security launch requirements out to 2020, which noted, "...only the Delta IV Heavy has the performance to lift the ten NSS launch requirements that require a heavy-lift capability... the production capacity for Delta IV, with one possible exception, can satisfy the entire projected NSS launch demand. The exception involves the requirement to increase the Delta IV Heavy lift capability to accommodate a single NRO (National Reconnaissance Office
National Reconnaissance Office
The National Reconnaissance Office , located in Chantilly, Virginia, is one of the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies. It designs, builds, and operates the spy satellites of the United States government.-Mission:...
) payload. The best solution to this requirement is currently under study."
An upgrade of the Delta IV Heavy, using the higher-performance RS-68A engine, is under development with initial availability in early 2011. This upgrade is planned to provide a roughly 13% improvement in payload capability to GTO. The new RS-68A is also planned to be used throughout the entire Delta IV family, where at 106% thrust it will provide a roughly 7–11% improvement in GTO payload (although this higher power level may require structural changes; running the engine at the current 102% produces a smaller improvement but requires less modification).
Another possible upgrade to the Delta IV family is the creation of new variants by the addition of extra solid motors. One such modification, the Medium+(4,4), would pair the four GEM-60s of the M+(5,4) with the upper stage and fairing of the (4,2). This would theoretically provide a GTO payload of 7,500 kg (16,600 lb) and an LEO payload of 14,800 kg (32,700 lb). This is the simplest variant to implement and is available within 36 months of the first order. Two other possible versions, the Medium+(5,6) and (5,8), would add two or four extra GEM-60s to the (5,4) variant, respectively. These would provide significantly higher performance (up to 9,200 kg/20,200 lb to GTO for the M+(5,8)) but would require more extensive modifications to the vehicle, such as adding the extra attach points and changes to cope with the different flight loads. They would also require pad and infrastructure changes. The Medium+(5,6) and (5,8) can be available within 48 months of the first order.
Launch sites
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
's Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) pad.
Launch facilities at both sites are similar. At the pad is a Mobile Service Tower (MST), which provides service access to the rocket and protection from the weather. There is a crane
Crane (machine)
A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of...
at the top of the MST, which allows the payload and GEM-60 solid motors to be attached to the vehicle. The MST is rolled away from the rocket several hours before launch. At Vandenberg, the launch pad also has a Mobile Assembly Shelter (MAS), which completely encloses the vehicle; at CCAFS, the vehicle is partly exposed near its bottom.
Beside the vehicle is a Fixed Umbilical Tower (FUT), which has two (VAFB) or three (CCAFS) swing arms. These arms carry electrical, hydraulic, environmental control, and other support functions to the vehicle through umbilical lines. The swing arms retract at T-0 seconds to prevent them from hitting the vehicle.
Under the vehicle is a Launch Table, with six Tail Service Masts (TSMs), two for each CBC. The Launch Table supports the vehicle on the pad, and the TSMs provide further support and fueling functions for the CBCs. The vehicle is mounted to the Launch Table by a Launch Mate Unit (LMU), which is attached to the vehicle by bolts that sever at launch. Behind the Launch Table is a Fixed Pad Erector (FPE), which uses two long-stroke hydraulic pistons to raise the vehicle to the vertical position after being rolled to the pad from the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF). Beneath the Launch Table is a flame duct, which deflects the rocket's exhaust away from the rocket or facilities.
The Horizontal Integration Facility
Horizontal Integration Facility
A horizontal integration facility is a location within which the stages of a multistage rocket are brought together, before the assembled stack is rolled out to the launch pad or complex and raised into vertical position for launch....
(HIF) is situated some distance from the pad. It is a large building that allows the Delta IV CBCs and second stages to be mated and tested before they are moved to the pad. The horizontal rocket assembly of the Delta IV are similar to the ones with the assembly of Soyuz launch vehicles; they are also assembled horizontally, unlike the current Space Shuttles, the past Saturn launch vehicles and the upcoming Ares I
Ares I
Ares I was the crew launch vehicle that was being developed by NASA as part of the Constellation Program. The name "Ares" refers to the Greek deity Ares, who is identified with the Roman god Mars...
and Ares V
Ares V
The Ares V was the planned cargo launch component of the Constellation program, which was to have replaced the Space Shuttle after its retirement in 2011. Ares V was also planned to carry supplies for a human presence on Mars...
, where they are assembled and rolled out to the launch pad entirely vertically.
Movement of the Delta IVs among the various facilities at the pad is facilitated by Elevating Platform Transporters (EPTs). These rubber-tired vehicles can be powered by either diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
engines or electric power. Diesel EPTs are used for moving the vehicles from the HIF to the pad, while electric EPTs are used in the HIF, where precision of movement is important.
Vehicle processing
Decatur, Alabama
Decatur is a city in Limestone and Morgan Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The city, affectionately known as "The River City", is located in Northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake, along the Tennessee River. It is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County...
. They are then loaded onto the M/V Delta Mariner, a roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
, and shipped to either launch pad. There, they are offloaded and rolled into a Horizontal Integration Facility
Horizontal Integration Facility
A horizontal integration facility is a location within which the stages of a multistage rocket are brought together, before the assembled stack is rolled out to the launch pad or complex and raised into vertical position for launch....
(HIF), where they are mated with the second stages, which were shipped separately to the pad on the Delta Mariner. Also, in the HIF, the three CBCs of Heavy variant are mated to each other.
Various tests are performed, and then the vehicle is rolled horizontally to the pad, where the Fixed Pad Erector (FPE) is used to raise the vehicle to the vertical position, inside the MST. At this time, the GEM-60 solid motors, if any are required, are rolled to the pad and attached to the vehicle. After further testing, the payload (which has already been enclosed in its fairing) is transported to the pad, hoisted into the MST by a crane, and attached to the vehicle. Finally, on launch day, the MST is rolled away from the vehicle, and the vehicle is ready for launch.
Recent history
The United States Air Force (USAF) continues to fund Delta IV engineering, integration and infrastructure through contracts with Boeing Launch Services (BLS). On August 8, 2008 the USAF Space and Missile Systems CenterSpace and Missile Systems Center
The Space and Missile Systems Center is a part of Air Force Space Command of the United States Air Force. SMC is the Air Force’s product center for the development and acquisition of space and missile systems...
increased the "cost plus award fee" contract with BLS for $1,656 million to extend the period of performance through the . In addition a $557.1 million option was added to cover FY10.
Delta IV launches
List Date: March 12, 2011| No. | Date/Time (UTC) |
Type | Serial-no. | Startplace | Payload | Type of payload | Orbit | Outcome | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002-11-20 22:39 |
Medium+(4,2) | 293 | CCAFS SLC-37B | Eutelsat W5 Eutelsat W5 Eutelsat W5 is a telecommunications satellite owned by Eutelsat Consortium. Eutelsat W5 provides coverage to Western Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East. The satellite can use either 6 steerable beams or 2 fixed beams to provide the coverage... |
Commercial communications satellite Communications satellite A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications... |
GTO Geostationary transfer orbit A geosynchronous transfer orbit or geostationary transfer orbit is a Hohmann transfer orbit used to reach geosynchronous or geostationary orbit.... |
Success | First Delta IV launch |
| 2 | 2003-03-11 00:59 |
Medium | 296 | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-167 (DSCS-3 Defense Satellite Communications System The Defense Satellite Communications System provides the United States with military communications to support globally distributed military users. DSCS will be replaced by the Wideband Global SATCOM system. A total of 14 DSCS III satellites were launched between the early 1980s and 2003. Two... A3) |
Military communications satellite | GTO | Success | First Delta IV Medium launch First USAF EELV mission |
| 3 | 2003-08-29 23:13 |
Medium | 301 | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-170 (DSCS-3 Defense Satellite Communications System The Defense Satellite Communications System provides the United States with military communications to support globally distributed military users. DSCS will be replaced by the Wideband Global SATCOM system. A total of 14 DSCS III satellites were launched between the early 1980s and 2003. Two... B6) |
Military communications satellite | GTO | Success | |
| 4 | 2004-12-21 21:50 |
Heavy | 310 | CCAFS SLC-37B | DemoSat DemoSat A DemoSat is a boilerplate spacecraft used to test a carrier rocket without risking a real satellite on the launch. They are most commonly flown on the maiden flights of rockets, but have also been flown on return-to-flight missions after launch failures... / 3CS-1 / 3CS-2 |
Demonstration payload | GSO Geosynchronous orbit A geosynchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth with an orbital period that matches the Earth's sidereal rotation period... (planned) |
Partial failure |
|
| 5 | 2006-05-24 22:11 |
Medium+(4,2) | 315 | CCAFS SLC-37B | GOES 13 GOES 13 GOES 13, known as GOES-N before becoming operational, is an American weather satellite which is part of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system. It was launched in 2006... (GOES-N) |
Weather satellite | GTO | Success | |
| 6 | 2006-06-28 03:33 |
Medium+(4,2) | 317 | VAFB SLC-6 Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 6 Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is a launch pad and support area. It was originally designed for the launching of the Titan III in support of the cancelled Manned Orbiting Laboratory, and was later rebuilt for the Space Shuttle, which also never used it due to... |
USA-184 (NROL-22 National Reconnaissance Office The National Reconnaissance Office , located in Chantilly, Virginia, is one of the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies. It designs, builds, and operates the spy satellites of the United States government.-Mission:... ) |
Reconnaissance satellite Spy satellite A spy satellite is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications.... |
Molniya Molniya orbit Molniya orbit is a type of highly elliptical orbit with an inclination of 63.4 degrees, an argument of perigee of -90 degree and an orbital period of one half of a sidereal day... |
Success | First Delta IV launch from Vandenberg |
| 7 | 2006-11-04 13:53 |
Medium | 320 | VAFB SLC-6 | USA-192 (DMSP Defense Meteorological Satellite Program The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program monitors meteorological, oceanographic, and solar-terrestrial physics for the United States Department of Defense. The program is now run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The mission of the satellites was revealed in March 1973... F17) |
Military weather satellite | SSO Sun-synchronous orbit A Sun-synchronous orbit is a geocentric orbit which combines altitude and inclination in such a way that an object on that orbit ascends or descends over any given point of the Earth's surface at the same local mean solar time. The surface illumination angle will be nearly the same every time... |
Success | First Delta IV launch into a LEO Low Earth orbit A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km... /SSO |
| 8 | 2007-11-11 01:50 |
Heavy | 329 | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-197 (DSP-23 Defense Support Program The Defense Support Program is a program of the U.S. Air Force that operates the reconnaissance satellites which form the principal component of the Satellite Early Warning System currently used by the United States.... ) |
Missile Warning satellite | GSO | Success | First Delta IV launch contracted by United Launch Alliance Launch delayed due to damage to launch pad caused by a liquid oxygen leak |
| 9 | 2009-01-18 02:47 |
Heavy | 337 | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-202 (NROL-26) | Reconnaissance satellite | GSO | Success | |
| 10 | 2009-06-27 22:51 |
Medium+(4,2) | 342 | CCAFS SLC-37B | GOES 14 GOES 14 GOES 14, known as GOES-O prior to reaching its operational orbit, is an American weather satellite, which is part of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite... (GOES-O) |
Weather satellite | GTO | Success | |
| 11 | 2009-12-06 01:47 |
Medium+(5,4) | 346 | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-211 (WGS-3 Wideband Global SATCOM system The Wideband Global SATCOM system is a satellite communications system planned for use in partnership by the United States Department of Defense and the Australian Department of Defence. The system is composed of the Space Segment satellites, the Terminal Segment users and the Control Segment... ) |
Military communications satellite | GTO | Success | First Delta IV Medium+ (5,4) launch |
| 12 | 2010-03-04 23:57 |
Medium+(4,2) | 348 | CCAFS SLC-37B | GOES 15 GOES 15 GOES 15, previously known as GOES-P, is an American weather satellite, which will form part of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system operated by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The spacecraft was constructed by Boeing, and is the last of three GOES... (GOES-P) |
Weather satellite | GTO | Success | |
| 13 | 2010-05-28 03:00 |
Medium+(4,2) | 349 | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-213 (GPS IIF SV-1 GPS Block IIF GPS Block IIF, or GPS IIF is an interim class of GPS satellite, which will be used to keep the Navstar Global Positioning System operational until the Block IIIA satellites become operational. They are being built by Boeing, and will be operated by the United States Air Force following their launch... ) |
Navigation Satellite | MEO | Success | |
| 14 | 2010-11-21 22:58 |
Heavy | 351 | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-223 USA-223 USA-223, known before launch as NRO Launch 32 , is an American reconnaissance satellite which was launched in 2010. It is operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office.... (NROL-32) |
Reconnaissance satellite | GSO | Success | |
| 15 | 2011-01-20 21:10 |
Heavy | 352 | VAFB SLC-6 | USA-224 USA-224 USA-224, also known as NRO Launch 49 , is an American reconnaissance satellite which was launched in 2011. It is a KH-11 optical imaging satellite, the fifteenth such spacecraft to be launched, and intended as a replacement of the USA-161 satellite launched in 2001.After the failure of the Boeing... (NROL-49) |
Reconnaissance satellite | LEO | Success | First Delta IV Heavy launch from Vandenberg |
| 16 | 2011-03-11 23:38 |
Medium+(4,2) | 353 | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-227 USA-227 USA-227, known before launch as NRO Launch 27 , is an American communications satellite which was launched in 2011. It is operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office.... (NROL-27) |
Reconnaissance satellite | GTO | Success | |
| 17 | 2011-07-16 06:41 |
Medium+(4,2) | 355 | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-231 (GPS IIF SV-2 GPS Block IIF GPS Block IIF, or GPS IIF is an interim class of GPS satellite, which will be used to keep the Navstar Global Positioning System operational until the Block IIIA satellites become operational. They are being built by Boeing, and will be operated by the United States Air Force following their launch... ) |
Navigation Satellite | MEO | Success | |
List of Thor and Delta launches (2010–2019) |
|||||||||
Notable past launches
Eutelsat
Eutelsat S.A. is a French-based satellite provider. Providing coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, it is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues.Eutelsat’s satellites...
W5 communications satellite. The launch vehicle was a Medium+ (4,2) variant, launched from Cape Canaveral. It carried the communications satellite into geostationary transfer orbit
Geostationary transfer orbit
A geosynchronous transfer orbit or geostationary transfer orbit is a Hohmann transfer orbit used to reach geosynchronous or geostationary orbit....
(GTO) on November 20, 2002.
Heavy Demo was the first launch of the Heavy variant in December 2004 after significant delays due to bad weather. Due to cavitation
Cavitation
Cavitation is the formation and then immediate implosion of cavities in a liquidi.e. small liquid-free zones that are the consequence of forces acting upon the liquid...
in the propellant lines, sensors registered depletion of propellant. The strap-on, and later core CBC engines shut down prematurely, even though sufficient propellant remained to continue the burn as scheduled. The second stage attempted to compensate for the under-burn, until it ran out of propellant. This flight was a test launch carrying a payload of:
- DemoSat 6020 kg; an aluminum cylinder filled with 60 brass rods planned to be carried to GEO; however due to the sensor faults, the satellite did not reach this orbit.
- NanoSat-2, carried to low Earth orbitLow Earth orbitA low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km...
(LEO) a set of two very small satellites of 24 and 21 kg, nicknamed Sparky and Ralphie planned to orbit for one day. Given the under-burn, the two most likely did not reach a stable orbit.
NROL-22 was the first Delta IV launched from SLC-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB). It was launched aboard a Medium+ (4,2) in June 2006 carrying a classified satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office
National Reconnaissance Office
The National Reconnaissance Office , located in Chantilly, Virginia, is one of the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies. It designs, builds, and operates the spy satellites of the United States government.-Mission:...
(NRO).
DSP-23 was the first launch of a valuable payload aboard a Heavy vehicle. This was also the first Delta IV launch contracted by the United Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. ULA was formed in December 2006 by combining the teams at these companies which provide spacecraft launch services to the government of the United States. U.S...
, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
. The main payload was the 23rd and final Defense Support Program
Defense Support Program
The Defense Support Program is a program of the U.S. Air Force that operates the reconnaissance satellites which form the principal component of the Satellite Early Warning System currently used by the United States....
missile-warning satellite, DSP-23. Launch from Cape Canaveral occurred at 01:50:00 GMT on November 11, 2007 (20:50 EST, November 10, 2007).
NROL-26 was the first "heavy" EELV launch for the NRO. It carried USA 202
USA 202
USA 202, previously NRO Launch 26 or NROL-26, is a classified spacecraft which is to be operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office. It is believed to be either the first Intruder, or an Advanced Orion, ELINT satellite...
, a classified reconnaissance satellite, on a Delta IV Heavy that lifted off January 18, 2009 at 02:47 UTC.
NROL-32 was a "Heavy" launch, carrying a satellite for NRO. The payload is speculated to be the largest satellite sent into space. The rocket lifted off on November 21, 2010 at 22:58 UTC; the launch was delayed from October 19.
NROL-49 lifted off at 1:10 p.m. PST from Vandenberg AFB on January 20, 2011. NROL-49 was the first Delta IV Heavy mission to be launched out of Vandenberg. This mission is an NRO mission and its details are classified.
Planned launches
- Several GPS Block IIFGPS Block IIFGPS Block IIF, or GPS IIF is an interim class of GPS satellite, which will be used to keep the Navstar Global Positioning System operational until the Block IIIA satellites become operational. They are being built by Boeing, and will be operated by the United States Air Force following their launch...
satellites will be launched using Medium+ (4,2) rockets (as well as Atlas VAtlas VAtlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance...
401 rockets). The first of these was launched in May 2010.
- Debut unmanned test flight of the OrionOrion (spacecraft)Orion is a spacecraft designed by Lockheed Martin for NASA, the space agency of the United States. Orion development began in 2005 as part of the Constellation program, where Orion would fulfill the function of a Crew Exploration Vehicle....
Multi-Purpose Crew VehicleMulti-Purpose Crew VehicleThe Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle is a planned spacecraft that is being built by Lockheed Martin for NASA, the space agency of the United States, based on designs and tests already completed for the Orion spacecraft. The MPCV was announced by NASA on May 24, 2011...
, known as OFT-1, that will launch aboard a Delta IV Heavy rocket in July 2013.
See also
- Advanced Common Evolved StageAdvanced Common Evolved StageThe Advanced Common Evolved Stage, or ACES, is a proposed upper stage rocket for use on space launch vehicles. The design concept is from the U.S. company United Launch Alliance . ACES is intended to boost satellite payloads to geosynchronous orbit or, in the case of an interplanetary space...
- Comparison of heavy lift launch systemsComparison of heavy lift launch systemsThis page exposes the full list of orbital launch systems. For the short simple list of launchers families, see Comparison of orbital launchers families....
- Expendable launch systemExpendable launch systemAn 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...
- List of launch vehicles
External links
- United Launch Alliance Delta Product Page
- Boeing's Delta IV Rocket page
- Delta IV information on Gunter's Space Page
- Comparison of Delta IV Heavy with Space Shuttle
- First Vandenberg Delta IV Heavy launch video via EducatedEarth.
- Bates, Jason. Boeing's Delta IV Heavy Gets Ready for its Close-Up, Space News, 2004-12-06.
- Rocketdyne Space Page
- Delta IV page on Astronautix.com
