Delta J
Encyclopedia
The Delta J, or Thor-Delta J was an American
expendable launch system
of the late 1960s. Only one was launched, with the Explorer 38 spacecraft. It was a member of the Delta family of rockets.
The Delta J was derived from the Delta E
. The first stage was a Thor
missile in the DSV-2C
configuration, with three Castor-1 solid rocket booster
s clustered around it. A Delta E was used as the second stage. The Altair third stage of the Delta E was replaced with the more powerful Star-37D SRM
.
The only Delta-J to fly was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base
Space Launch Complex 2E
on 4 July 1968. It successfully placed the Explorer 38 satellite into medium Earth orbit
.
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...
of the late 1960s. Only one was launched, with the Explorer 38 spacecraft. It was a member of the Delta family of rockets.
The Delta J was derived from the Delta E
Delta E
The Delta E, or Thor-Delta E was an American expendable launch system used for twenty-three orbital launches between 1965 and 1971. It was a member of the Delta family of rockets....
. The first stage was a Thor
PGM-17 Thor
Thor was the first operational ballistic missile of the U.S. Air Force . Named after the Norse god of thunder, it was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was in height and in diameter. It was...
missile in the DSV-2C
Thor DSV-2
The Thor DSV-2 was a series of sounding rockets, test vehicles, and anti-satellite weapons derived from the Thor Intermediate-range ballistic missile. It was also used as the first stage of several Thor-derived expendable launch systems-Thor DSV-2D:...
configuration, with three Castor-1 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 clustered around it. A Delta E was used as the second stage. The Altair third stage of the Delta E was replaced with the more powerful Star-37D SRM
Solid rocket
A solid rocket or a solid-fuel rocket is a rocket engine that uses solid propellants . The earliest rockets were solid-fuel rockets powered by gunpowder; they were used by the Chinese in warfare as early as the 13th century and later by the Mongols, Arabs, and Indians.All rockets used some form of...
.
The only Delta-J to fly was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base
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 ....
Space Launch Complex 2E
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...
on 4 July 1968. It successfully placed the Explorer 38 satellite into medium Earth orbit
Medium Earth Orbit
Medium Earth orbit , sometimes called intermediate circular orbit , is the region of space around the Earth above low Earth orbit and below geostationary orbit ....
.