Delta II

Delta II
A Delta II rocket launches from Cape Canaveral carrying the Dawn spacecraft.
FunctionLaunch vehicle
ManufacturerUnited Launch Alliance
Country of originUnited States
Cost per launchUS$51 million in 1987 (7920-10 model) [1] US$137 million in 2018 before retirement [2]
Size
Height38.9 m (128 ft)[3]
Diameter2.44 m (8 ft 0 in)
Mass152,000–286,100 kg (335,100–630,700 lb)[3][4]
Capacity
Payload to 185 km (115 mi) low Earth orbit
Orbital inclination28.7°
Mass2,776–6,107 kg (6,120–13,464 lb)[4]
Payload to geostationary transfer orbit
Orbital inclination28.7°
Mass929–2,180 kg (2,048–4,806 lb)[4]
Payload to 833 km (518 mi) Sun-synchronous orbit
Orbital inclination98.7°
Mass1,652–3,182 kg (3,642–7,015 lb)[4]
Launch history
StatusRetired
Launch sitesCape Canaveral, SLC-17
Vandenberg Air Force Base, SLC-2W
Total launches155
Delta 6000: 17
Delta 7000: 132
Delta 7000H: 6
Success(es)153
Delta 6000: 17
Delta 7000: 130
Delta 7000H: 6
Failure(s)1 (Delta 7000)
Partial failure(s)1 (Delta 7000)
First flight
Last flight
  • Delta 6000: 24 July 1992 (Geotail)
  • Delta 7000: 15 September 2018 (ICESat-2)
  • Delta 7000H: 10 September 2011 (GRAIL)
Stage info
Boosters (6000 Series) – Castor 4A
No. boosters9
Height9.2 m (30 ft)[5]
Diameter1.02 m (3 ft 4 in)
Empty mass1,457 kg (3,212 lb)
Gross mass11,578 kg (25,525 lb)
Powered bySolid
Maximum thrust478.3 kN (107,500 lbf)
Specific impulse266 s (2.61 km/s)
Burn time56 seconds
PropellantHTPB
Boosters (7000 Series) – GEM 40
No. boosters3, 4, or 9
Height13.0 m (42.7 ft)[4]
Diameter1.02 m (3 ft 4 in)
Empty mass1,315 kg (2,899 lb)
Gross mass13,080 kg (28,840 lb)
Powered bySolid
Maximum thrust
  • Ground-lit: 499.2 kN (112,200 lbf)
  • Air-lit: 516.2 kN (116,000 lbf)
Specific impulse
  • Ground-lit: 274.0 s (2.687 km/s)
  • Air-lit: 283.4 s (2.779 km/s)
Burn time64 seconds
PropellantHTPB
Boosters (7000 Heavy) – GEM 46
No. boosters9
Height14.7 m (48 ft)[4]
Diameter1.17 m (3 ft 10 in)
Empty mass2,035 kg (4,486 lb)
Gross mass19,040 kg (41,980 lb)
Powered bySolid
Maximum thrust
  • Ground-lit: 608.1 kN (136,700 lbf)
  • Air-lit: 628.5 kN (141,300 lbf)
Specific impulse
  • Ground-lit: 224.0 s (2.197 km/s)
  • Air-lit: 284.0 s (2.785 km/s)
Burn time76 seconds or 178.03 seconds after liftoff
PropellantHTPB
First stage – Thor/Delta XLT(-C)
Height26.1 m (86 ft)[4]
Diameter2.44 m (8 ft 0 in)
Empty mass5,680 kg (12,520 lb)
Gross mass101,800 kg (224,400 lb)
Powered by1x RS-27 (6000 series) or RS-27A (7000 series) [6]
Maximum thrust1,054 kN (237,000 lbf)
Specific impulse302 s (2.96 km/s)
Burn time260.5 seconds
PropellantRP-1 / LOX
Second stage – Delta K
Height6 m (20 ft)[4]
Diameter2.44 m (8 ft 0 in)
Empty mass950 kg (2,090 lb)
Gross mass6,954 kg (15,331 lb)
Powered by1x AJ10-118K
Maximum thrust43.6 kN (9,800 lbf)
Specific impulse319 s (3.13 km/s)
Burn time431 seconds
PropellantN2O4 / Aerozine 50
Third stage – PAM-D (optional)
Powered byStar 48B
Maximum thrust66 kN (15,000 lbf)
Specific impulse286 s (2.80 km/s)
Burn time87 seconds
PropellantHTPB

Delta II was an expendable launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas, and sometimes known as the Thorad Delta 1. Delta II was part of the Delta rocket family, derived directly from the Delta 3000, and entered service in 1989. There were two main variants, the Delta 6000 and Delta 7000, with the latter also having "Light" and "Heavy" subvariants. During its career, Delta II flew several notable payloads, including 24 Global Positioning System (GPS) Block II satellites, several dozen NASA payloads, and 60 Iridium communication satellites. The rocket flew its final mission, ICESat-2, on 15 September 2018, earning the launch vehicle a streak of 100 successful missions in a row, with the last failure being GPS IIR-1 in 1997.[3] In the late 1990s, Delta II was developed further into the unsuccessful Delta III, which was in turn developed into the more capable and successful Delta IV, though the latter shares little heritage with the original Thor and Delta rockets.

  1. ^ "Delta II 7920H-10". Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  2. ^ "The Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2018" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation. Bryce Space and Technology. January 2018. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ a b c Kyle, Ed. "Delta II Data Sheet". spacelaunchreport.com. Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Isakowitz, Steven J.; Hopkins, Joshua B.; Hopkins, Joseph R. Jr. (2004). International Reference Guide to Space Launch Systems (Report) (Fourth ed.). American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Castor4A was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Boeing: Integrated Defense Systems - Delta - Delta II Launch Vehicle Family". Archived from the original on 3 November 2006. Retrieved 3 November 2006.

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