Rocket family
Delta Family
|
|
|
Delta II through Delta IV
|
Role
|
Expendable launch system
Type of aircraft
|
Manufacturer
|
|
First flight
|
May 13, 1960
; 64 years ago
(
1960-05-13
)
|
Introduction
|
13 May 1960 (
Echo 1
)
|
Retired
|
9 April 2024 (
NROL-70
)
|
Status
|
Out of service
|
The
Delta rocket family
was a versatile range of American
rocket
-powered
expendable launch systems
that provided space launch capability in the United States from 1960 to 2024. Japan also launched license-built derivatives (
N-I
,
N-II
, and
H-I
) from 1975 to 1992. More than 300 Delta rockets were launched with a 95% success rate. The series was phased out in favor of the
Vulcan Centaur
, with the
Delta IV Heavy rocket
's last launch occurring on April 9, 2024.
[1]
Origins
[
edit
]
Delta rocket on display at the
Goddard Space Flight Center
The original Delta rockets used a modified version of the
PGM-17 Thor
, the first
ballistic missile
deployed by the
United States Air Force
(USAF), as their
first stage
. The Thor had been designed in the mid-1950s to reach Moscow from bases in Britain or similar allied nations, and the first wholly successful Thor launch had occurred in September 1957. Subsequent
satellite
and
space probe
flights soon followed, using a Thor first stage with several different upper stages. The fourth upper-stage combination of the Thor was named the Thor "Delta", reflecting the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. Eventually the entire Thor?Delta launch vehicle came to be called simply "Delta".
[2]
[3]
NASA
intended Delta as "an interim general-purpose vehicle" to be "used for
communication
,
meteorological
, and
scientific satellites
and
lunar probes
during 1960 and 1961". The plan was to replace Delta with other rocket designs when they came on-line. From this point onward, the launch vehicle family was split into civilian variants flown from
Cape Canaveral
, which bore the Delta name, and military variants flown from
Vandenberg Air Force Base
(VAFB), which used the more warlike Thor name. The Delta design emphasized reliability rather than performance by replacing components that had caused problems on earlier Thor flights; in particular, the trouble-prone
inertial guidance
package made by
AC Spark Plug
was replaced by a radio ground guidance system, which was mounted to the second stage instead of the first. NASA made the original Delta contract to the
Douglas Aircraft Company
in April 1959 for 12 vehicles of this design:
[
citation needed
]
- Stage 1: Modified
Thor IRBM
with a Block I MB-3 engine group consisting of one Rocketdyne LR-79 main engine and two
Rocketdyne LR-101
vernier thrusters
for roll control, producing a total of 683 kN (154,000 lb
f
) thrust, including LOX/RP1 turbopump exhaust.
- Stage 2: Modified
Able
. Pressure-fed
UDMH
/
nitric acid
-powered
Aerojet
AJ-10-118
engine producing 34 kN (7,600 lb
f
). This reliable engine cost US$4 million to build and is still flying in modified form today. Gas-jet
attitude control system
.
- Stage 3:
Altair
. A spin-stabilized (via a turntable on top of the Able) at 100
rpm
by two solid rocket motors before separation. One
ABL X-248
solid rocket motor provided 12 kN (2,700 lb
f
) of thrust for 28 seconds. The stage weighed 230 kg (510 lb) and was largely constructed of wound fiberglass.
These vehicles would be able to place 290 kg (640 lb) into a 240 to 370 km (150 to 230 mi)
LEO
or 45 kg (99 lb) into
GTO
. Eleven of the twelve initial Delta flights were successful, and until 1968, no failures occurred in the first two minutes of launch. The high degree of success achieved by Delta stood in contrast to the endless parade of failures that dogged West Coast Thor launches. The total project development and launch cost came to US$43 million, US$3 million over budget. An order for 14 more vehicles was made before 1962.
[
citation needed
]
Evolution
[
edit
]
Launch of the first
Skynet
satellite by
Delta M
launch vehicle
in 1969 from
Cape Canaveral
.
Delta A
[
edit
]
The
Delta A
used the MB-3 Block II engine, with 170,000 lbf (760 kN) of thrust versus 152,000 lbf (680 kN) for the Block I.
[4]
[5]
13. 2 October 1962 ?
Explorer 14
(EPE-B).
14. 27 October 1962 ?
Explorer 15
(EPE-C).
Delta B
[
edit
]
The
Delta B
introduce the upgraded
AJ10-118D
upper stage, a three-foot propellant tank extension, higher-energy oxidizer, and solid-state guidance system. With the Delta B the Delta program went from "interim" to "operational" status. Delta B could launch 200 lb (91 kg) to GTO.
[5]
15. 13 December 1962.
Relay 1
, second NASA communications satellite, the NASA
communications satellite
first active one.
16. 13 February 1963. Pad 17B.
Syncom 1
;
Thiokol Corporation
Star-13B
solid rocket as
apogee motor
.
20. 26 July 1963.
Syncom 2
; geosynchronous orbit, but inclined 33.0° due to the limited performance of the Delta rocket.
Delta C
[
edit
]
For
Delta C
, the third stage Altair was replaced with Altair 2. The Altair 2 had been developed as the
ABL X-258
for the
Scout
vehicle and was 3 in (76 mm) longer, 10% heavier, and with 65% more total thrust.
OSO 4
is an example of a Delta C launch.
[
citation needed
]
Delta D
[
edit
]
Delta D
, also known as Thrust Augmented Delta, was a Delta C with the Thrust Augmented Thor core plus three
Castor 1
boosters.
[
citation needed
]
25. 19 August 1964.
Syncom 3
, the first
geostationary
communications satellite
.
30. 6 April 1965.
Intelsat I
.
Delta E
[
edit
]
First
Delta E
: 6 November 1965; launched
GEOS 1
[
citation needed
]
Delta F
[
edit
]
This launch vehicle was not built.
[6]
Delta G
[
edit
]
The
Delta G
was a Delta E without the third stage. The two-stage vehicle was used for two launches:
Biosatellite 1
on 14 December 1966 and
Biosatellite 2
on 7 September 1967.
[4]
Delta J
[
edit
]
The
Delta J
used a larger Thiokol
Star 37D
motor as the third stage and was launched once on 4 July 1968 with
Explorer 38
.
[4]
Delta K
[
edit
]
This launch vehicle was not built.
[6]
Delta L
[
edit
]
The
Delta L
introduced the Extended Long Tank first stage with a uniform 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) diameter and used the
United Technologies
FW-4D motor as a third stage.
[
citation needed
]
Delta M
[
edit
]
The
Delta M
first stage consisted of a Long Tank Thor with MB-3-3 engine augmented with three
Castor 2
boosters. The Delta E was the second stage, with a
Star 37D
(
Burner 2
) third stage/apogee kick motor. There were 12 successful Delta M launches from 1968 until 1971.
[7]
Delta N
[
edit
]
The
Delta N
combined a Long Tank Thor (MB-3-3 engine) first stage augmented with three
Castor 2
boosters and a Delta E second stage. There were six successful Delta N launches from 1968 until 1972.
[8]
"Super Six"
[
edit
]
The "Super Six" was a Delta M or Delta N with three additional
Castor 2
boosters for a total of six, which was the maximum that could be accommodated. These were respectively designated
Delta M6
or
Delta N6
. The first and only launch of the M6 configuration was
Explorer 43
(IMP-H, Magnetospheric research) on 13 March 1971.
[9]
Three launches of the N6 between 1970 and 1971 resulted in one failure.
[10]
Delta 0100-series
[
edit
]
The
Delta 0100
series was the first stage of the initial numbered Delta was the Long Tank Thor, a version of the
Thor
missile with extended propellant tanks. Up to nine strap-on
solid rocket boosters
(SRBs) could be fitted. With three SRBs, the Delta was designated a 300 series, while the nine SRB variant was designated the 900 series. A new and improved Delta F second stage using the higher-thrust Aerojet
AJ 10-118F
engine was also introduced. The first 900 series launch was the fourth Delta 0100.
[
citation needed
]
On 23 July 1972, Thor-Delta 904 launched
Landsat 1
.
[11]
A license-built version of the Long Tank Thor stage with the MB-3 engine was also used for the Japanese
N-I
launch vehicle.
Delta 1000-series
[
edit
]
The
Delta 1000
series was nicknamed the
Straight-Eight
and combined an Extended Long Tank first stage with an 8 ft-diameter (2.4 m) payload fairing, up to nine
Castor 2
SRBs, and the new
McDonnell Douglas
Delta P
second stage using the
TRW
TR-201
engine. Payload capacity increased to 1,835 kg (4,045 lb) to LEO or 635 kg (1,400 lb) to GTO.
[
citation needed
]
The first successful 1000 series Thor-Delta launched
Explorer 47
on 22 September 1972.
[11]
The Extended Long Tank Thor stage was also used in the Japanese
N-II
and
H-I
launch vehicles.
Delta 2000-series
[
edit
]
The
Delta 2000
introduced the new
Rocketdyne
RS-27
main engine on an Extended Long Tank first stage with the same constant 8-foot diameter. A Delta 2310 was the vehicle for the first three-satellite launch of
NOAA-4
,
Intasat
, and
AMSAT-OSCAR 7
on 15 November 1974.
[
citation needed
]
Delta 2910 boosters were used to launch both
Landsat 2
in 1975 and
Landsat 3
in 1978. On 7 April 1978, a Delta 2914 launched "
Yuri 1
", the first Japanese BSE
Broadcasting Satellite
.
[12]
Delta 3000-series
[
edit
]
The
Delta 3000
combined the same first stage as 1000-series and 2000-series with upgraded
Castor 4
solid boosters and was the last Delta series to use the
McDonnell Douglas
Delta P
second stage with
TRW
TR-201
engine. Delta 3000 introduced the PAM (
Payload Assist Module
) /
Star 48B
solid-fueled kick motor, which was later used as Delta II third stage.
[
citation needed
]
The Delta 3914 model was approved for launching United States government payloads in May 1976
[11]
and was launched 13 times between 1975 and 1987.
Delta 4000-series
[
edit
]
The
Delta 4000
-series and 5000-series were developed in the aftermath of the
Challenger disaster
and consisted of a combination of 3000-era and Delta II-era components. The first stage had the MB-3 main engine and Extended Long Tank of the 3000-series and mounted upgraded
Castor 4A
motors. The new Delta K second stage was also included. A total of three were launched in 1989 and 1990, carrying two operational payloads.
[
citation needed
]
Delta 5000-series
[
edit
]
The
Delta 5000
series featured upgraded
Castor 4A
motors on an Extended Long Tank first stage with the new
RS-27
main engine and only launched one mission.
[
citation needed
]
Delta II (6000-series and 7000-series)
[
edit
]
The
Delta II
series was developed after the 1986
Challenger
accident
and consisted of the Delta 6000-series and 7000-series, with two variants (Lite and Heavy) of the latter.
The Delta 6000-series introduced the Extra Extended Long Tank first stage, which was 12 ft (3.7 m) longer, and the
Castor 4A
boosters. Six SRBs ignited at takeoff, and three ignited in the air.
[
citation needed
]
The Delta 7000-series introduced the
RS-27A
main engine, which was modified for efficiency at high altitude at some cost to low-altitude performance, and the lighter and more powerful
GEM-40
solid boosters from
Hercules
. The
Delta II Med-Lite
was a 7000-series with no third stage and fewer strap-ons (often three, sometimes four) that was usually used for small NASA missions. The
Delta II Heavy
was a Delta II 792X with the enlarged
GEM-46
boosters from
Delta III
.
[
citation needed
]
Delta III (8000-Series)
[
edit
]
The
Delta III
8000-series was a McDonnell Douglas / Boeing-developed program to keep pace with growing satellite masses:
- The two upper stages, with low-performance fuels, were replaced with a single cryogenic stage, improving performance and reducing recurring costs and pad labor. The engine was a single
Pratt & Whitney
RL10
, from the
Centaur
upper stage. The hydrogen fuel tank, 4 metres in diameter in orange insulation, is exposed; the narrower oxygen tank and engine are covered until stage ignition. Fuel tank contracted to
Mitsubishi
and produced using technologies from Japanese
H-II
launcher.
- To keep the stack short and resistant to crosswinds, the first-stage kerosene tank was widened and shortened, matching the upper-stage and fairing diameters.
- Nine enlarged
GEM-46
solid boosters were attached. Three have
thrust-vectoring
nozzles.
Of the three Delta III flights, the first two were failures, and the third carried only a
dummy (inert) payload
.
Delta IV (9000-series)
[
edit
]
As part of the Air Force's
Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle
(EELV) program,
McDonnell Douglas
/
Boeing
proposed
Delta IV
. As the program name implied, many components and technologies were borrowed from existing launchers. Both
Boeing
and
Lockheed Martin
were contracted to produce their EELV designs. Delta IVs were produced in a new facility in
Decatur, Alabama
.
- The first stage changed to
liquid hydrogen
fuel. Tank technologies derived from
Delta III
upper stage, but widened to 5 metres.
- The kerosene engine replaced with
Rocketdyne
RS-68
, the first new, large liquid-fueled rocket engine designed in the United States since the
Space Shuttle Main Engine
(SSME) in the 1970s. Designed for low cost, it had lower chamber pressure and efficiency than the SSME, and a much simpler nozzle. Thrust chamber and upper nozzle was a channel-wall design, pioneered by Soviet engines. Lower nozzle was ablatively cooled.
- The second stage and fairing were taken from the Delta III in smaller (
Delta IV Medium
) models; widened to 5 metres in
Medium+
and
Heavy
models.
- Medium+ models had two or four
GEM 60
, 60-inch-diameter (1.5 m) solid boosters.
- The plumbing was revised and electrical circuits eliminated need for a launch tower.
The first stage was referred to as a
Common Booster Core
(CBC); a
Delta IV Heavy
attached two extra CBCs as boosters.
Delta IV Heavy
[
edit
]
Delta IV Heavy launches from
Vandenberg Space Force Base
The
Delta IV Heavy
(Delta 9250H) was an
expendable
heavy-lift launch vehicle
, the largest type of the
Delta IV
family. It was the world's third highest-capacity
launch vehicle
in operation at the time of its retirement in 2024, behind
NASA
's
Space Launch System
and
SpaceX
's
Falcon Heavy
and closely followed by
CASC
's
Long March 5
.
[13]
[14]
It was manufactured by
United Launch Alliance
(ULA) and was first launched in 2004.
[15]
ULA retired the Delta IV Heavy in 2024. Future ULA launches will use the new
Vulcan Centaur
rocket.
[16]
[17]
Delta IV's final flight was on 9 April 2024.
The Delta IV Heavy first stage consisted of a central
Common Booster Core
(CBC), with two additional CBCs as
liquid rocket boosters
instead of the
GEM-60
solid rocket motors
used by the Delta IV Medium+ versions. At lift-off, all three rocket engines would operate at full thrust, and 44 seconds later the central engine would throttle down to 55% to conserve fuel until the other two engines separate. The latter engines burn out at 242 seconds after launch and are separated as the central engine throttles back up to full thrust. The central engine burns out 86 seconds later, and the second stage completed the ascent to orbit.
[18]
The launch vehicle used three
RS-68
engines, one in the central core and one in each booster.
[19]
On the last seconds of countdown, the liquid hydrogen fuel would flow through the engines and upwards along the booster body, and after the ignition that hydrogen inflamed, creating the characteristic fireball and charred look of the booster.
[20]
Launch reliability
[
edit
]
From 1969 through 1978 (inclusive), Thor-Delta was NASA's most used launcher, with 84 launch attempts. (
Scout
was the second-most used vehicle with 32 launches.)
[21]
Satellites for other government agencies and foreign governments were also launched on a cost-reimbursable basis, totaling 63 satellites. Out of the 84 launch attempts there were 7 failures or partial failures, a 91.6% success rate.
[22]
The Delta was a launch success, but it has also been a significant contributor to orbital debris, as a variant used in the 1970s was prone to in-orbit explosions. Eight Delta second stages launched between 1973 and 1981 were involved in fragmentation events between 1973 and 1991 usually within the first 3 years after launch, but others have broken apart 10 or more years later. Studies determined that explosions were caused by propellant left after shutdown. The nature of the propellant and the thermal environment occupied by the derelict rockets made explosions inevitable. Depletion burns were started in 1981, and no fragmentation events for rockets launched after that have been identified. Deltas launched before the 1970s variant have had fragmentation events as long as 50 years after launch.
[23]
Numbering system
[
edit
]
In 1972,
McDonnell Douglas
introduced a four-digit numbering system to replace the letter-naming system. The new system could better accommodate the various changes and improvements to Delta rockets and avoided the problem of a rapidly depleting alphabet. The digits specified (1) the tank and main engine type, (2) number of
solid rocket boosters
, (3) second stage (letters in the following table refer to the engine), and (4) third stage:
[24]
Number
|
First digit
(first stage/boosters)
|
Second digit
(number of boosters)
|
Third digit
(second stage)
|
Fourth digit
(third stage)
|
Letter
(Heavy configuration)
|
0
|
Long Tank Thor
MB-3 engine
Castor 2
SRBs
|
No SRBs
|
Delta F*, with
Aerojet
AJ-10-118F
engines.
*
References uprated
Aerojet AJ-10-118
engine
|
No third stage
|
N/A
|
1
|
Extended Long Tank Thor
MB-3 engine
Castor 2 SRBs
|
N/A
|
Delta P*,
Douglas
built with
TRW
TR-201
engines.
*Exception:
AJ-10-118F engine for
Anik-A1
launch
.
[25]
|
N/A
|
2
|
Extended Long Tank Thor
RS-27
engine
Castor 2
SRBs
|
2
SRBs
(or
CBCs
in the case of the Delta IV Heavy)
|
Delta K*, with
AJ-10-118K
engines.
*
References uprated Aerojet AJ-10-118 engine
|
FW-4D
(unflown)
|
3
|
Extended Long Tank Thor
RS-27 engine
Castor 4
SRBs
|
3 SRBs
|
Delta III cryogenic upper stage,
RL-10B-2
engine
|
Star 37D
|
4
|
Extended Long Tank Thor
MB-3 engine
Castor 4A
SRBs
|
4 SRBs
|
Delta IV 4m diameter cryogenic upper stage,
RL-10B-2
engine
|
Star 37E
|
5
|
Extended Long Tank Thor
RS-27 engine
Castor 4A
SRBs
|
N/A
|
Delta IV 5 metre diameter cryogenic upper stage,
RL-10B-2
engine
|
Star 48B
/
PAM-D
|
6
|
Extra-Extended Long Tank Thor
RS-27 engine
Castor 4A
SRBs
|
6 SRBs
|
N/A
|
Star 37FM
|
7
|
Extra-Extended Long Tank Thor
RS-27A engine
GEM 40
SRBs
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
GEM 46
SRBs
|
8
|
Strengthened Extra-Extended Long Tank Thor
RS-27A engine
GEM 46
SRBs
|
N/A
|
9
|
Delta IV Common Booster Core
(CBC)
RS-68
engine
|
9 SRBs
|
2 additional CBC parallel first stages
|
This numbering system was to have been phased out in favor of a new system that was introduced in 2005.
[26]
In practice, the new system was never used, as all but the
Delta II
have been retired:
Number
|
First digit
(first stage/boosters)
|
Second digit
(number of boosters)
|
Third digit
(second Stage)
|
Fourth digit
(third stage)
|
Letter
(Heavy configuration)
|
0
|
N/A
|
No SRBs
|
N/A
|
No third stage
|
N/A
|
1
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
2
|
Extra-Extended Long Tank Thor
RS-27A
engine
GEM 40
SRBs
|
2 SRBs (or LRBs in the case of the
Delta IV Heavy
)
|
Delta K, with
AJ-10-118K
engines
|
GEM 46
SRBs
|
3
|
Strengthened Extra-Extended Long Tank Thor
RS-27A
engine
GEM 46
SRBs
|
3 SRBs
|
N/A
|
4
|
Delta IV CBC
RS-68
engine
|
4 SRBs
|
Delta IV 4 metre diameter cryogenic upper stage,
RL-10B-2
engine
|
2 additional CBC parallel first stages
|
5
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Delta IV 5 metre diameter cryogenic upper stage,
RL-10B-2
engine
|
Star 48B
/
PAM-D
|
N/A
|
6
|
N/A
|
Star 37FM
|
7
|
N/A
|
8
|
9
|
9 SRBs
|
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Delta IV Heavy ? NROL-70"
.
Next Spaceflight
. 9 February 2024
. Retrieved
10 February
2024
.
- ^
"Ch. 1: Launch Vehicles"
.
Origins of NASA Names
. NASA. Archived from
the original
on 4 November 2004.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
public domain
.
- ^
Helen T. Wells; Susan H. Whiteley; Carrie E. Karegeannes.
Origin of NASA Names
. NASA Science and Technical Information Office. pp. 14?15.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
public domain
.
- ^
a
b
c
Kruse, Richard.
"Thor and Delta Rockets Overview"
. Historic Spacecraft
. Retrieved
8 March
2020
.
- ^
a
b
Kyle, Ed.
"Thor-Agena A and B: Photospy Launcher"
. Space Launch Report. Archived from the original on 7 August 2010
. Retrieved
8 March
2020
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
link
)
- ^
a
b
Jos Heyman (8 January 2008).
"Delta beyond 1974 (incl. Delta II)"
. Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles
. Retrieved
8 June
2012
.
- ^
"Delta M"
. Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from
the original
on 18 June 2012.
- ^
"Delta N"
. Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from
the original
on 5 March 2008.
- ^
"Delta M6"
. Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from
the original
on 19 June 2012.
- ^
"Delta N6"
. Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from
the original
on 18 June 2012.
- ^
a
b
c
"Chronology of Thor-Delta Development and Operations"
. NASA. Archived from
the original
on 18 November 2004.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
public domain
.
- ^
"Delta Chronology"
.
Encyclopedia Astronautica
. Archived from
the original
on 24 July 2008.
- ^
"Mission Status Center"
. Spaceflight Now
. Retrieved
26 July
2014
.
The ULA Delta 4-Heavy is currently the world's largest rocket, providing the nation with reliable, proven, heavy lift capability for our country's national security payloads from both the east and west coasts.
- ^
Chang, Kenneth (6 February 2018).
"Falcon Heavy, SpaceX's Big New Rocket, Succeeds in Its First Test Launch"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
6 February
2018
.
The Falcon Heavy is capable of lifting 140,000 pounds to low Earth orbit, more than any other rocket today.
- ^
"Boeing Delta IV Heavy Achieves Major Test Objectives in First Flight"
(Press release). Boeing. 21 December 2004. Archived from
the original
on 19 April 2012
. Retrieved
22 March
2012
.
- ^
Erwin, Sandra (24 August 2020).
"ULA to launch Delta 4 Heavy for its 12th mission, four more to go before rocket is retired"
. SpaceNews
. Retrieved
29 August
2020
.
- ^
"Delta IV Heavy - NROL-70"
.
Next Spaceflight
. 9 February 2024
. Retrieved
10 February
2024
.
- ^
"Delta IV Payload Planner's Guide, June 2013"
(PDF)
. United Launch Alliance. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 10 July 2014
. Retrieved
26 July
2014
.
- ^
"Delta 4-Heavy likely heading for geosynchronous orbit with top secret payload"
. Spaceflight Now. 26 August 2020
. Retrieved
27 August
2020
.
- ^
Berger, Eric
(21 January 2019).
"This massive rocket creates a fireball as it launches, and that's by design"
.
Ars Technica
. Retrieved
13 April
2023
.
- ^
"NASA Historical Data Book, Vol. III"
. NASA. Archived from
the original
on 2 November 2004.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
public domain
.
- ^
"Listing of Thor-Delta Vehicles"
. NASA. Archived from
the original
on 18 November 2004.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
public domain
.
- ^
"50-Year Old Rocket Stage Involved in Orbital Debris Event"
. 2 April 2017
. Retrieved
15 February
2023
.
- ^
Forsyth, Kevin S.
"Vehicle Description: Four Digit Designator"
.
History of the Delta Launch Vehicle
. Retrieved
7 May
2008
.
- ^
"Delta P"
. Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from
the original
on 17 June 2012.
- ^
Wade, Mark.
"Delta"
.
Encyclopedia Astronautica
. Archived from
the original
on 29 March 2008
. Retrieved
7 May
2008
.
- Forsyth, Kevin S. (2002) Delta: The Ultimate Thor, In Roger Launius and Dennis Jenkins (Eds.),
To Reach The High Frontier: A History of U.S. Launch Vehicles
, Lexington: University Press of Kentucky,
ISBN
0-8131-2245-7
External links
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Current
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In development
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Retired
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Classes
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- This Template lists historical, current, and future space rockets that at least once attempted (but not necessarily succeeded in) an orbital launch or that are planned to attempt such a launch in the future
- Symbol
†
indicates past or current rockets that attempted orbital launches but never succeeded (never did or has yet to perform a successful orbital launch)
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Rocket families
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Carrier rockets
| China
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Europe / ESA
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India
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Japan
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Soviet Union / Russia
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Soviet Union / Ukraine
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United States
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Other nations
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Sounding rockets
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Missiles
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- Some families include both missiles and carrier rockets; they are listed in both groups.
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Thor and Delta rockets
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Rockets
| Thor
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Delta
| Alphabetical
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Numerical
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Modern
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Export
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Launch sites
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Components
| Boosters
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First stages
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Upper Stages
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Engines
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Manufacturers
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Launches
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