CRITICAL EVENTS OF THE INAUGURAL LAUNCH OF THE BOEING DELTA IV EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE Michael D. Berglund*
[email protected] Mark Wilkins† Chief Engineer The Boeing Company Huntington Beach, California 92647 ABSTRACT Integrating a new launch vehicle with new ground On 20 November 2002, in its inaugural launch, The systems and achieving mission success on the inaugural Boeing Company’s Delta IV expendable launch vehicle launch posed many unique challenges. This paper lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, summarizes the critical events and challenges of the day Florida, at 5:39 EST. The rocket flawlessly deployed of launch, from tanking through spacecraft separation. its payload (Eutelsat’s W5 spacecraft) approximately 35 Liftoff, max Q, solid rocket motor separation, main min later into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. This engine cutoff (MECO), stage I/II separation, and launch represented the beginning of a new family of second-stage engine cutoff (SECO) are some of the rockets, designed to deliver highly reliable, low-cost critical events that are summarized. Also, this paper access to space for military, commercial, and scientific presents the methodology used in post-flight data endeavors. reconstruction and analysis. Delta II Delta IV Delta IV 7920/7925 Delta III Medium Delta IV Medium+ Heavy 5-m Fairing (Boeing-built) 4-m Fairing (Delta III) Delta III US Modified Delta III US Stretched Tank RL10B-2 RL10B-2 Isogrid First- Stage LO2 Tank Common Booster Core CBC 4 GEM Rocketdyne 2 GEM Engine 60s RS-27 60s RS-68 Main Engine M+ (4,2) M+ (5,2) M+ (5,4) 2,142 kg 3,810 kg 3,934 kg 5,691 kg 4,540 kg 6,411 kg 12,369 kg 4,723 lb 8,400 lb 8,672 lb 12,546 lb 10,008 lb 14,135 lb 27,269 lb Delta IV Nominal Performance to GTO (185 km x 35,786 km x 27 deg) 3P255001.1 Delta II Nominal Performance to GTO (185 km x 35,786 km x 28.7 deg) Note: All Values are Assured Separated Spacecraft Mass and are Derived From the October 2000 Delta IV Payload Planners Guide Figure 1.