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The Delta Launch Vehicle- Past, Present, and Future The Space Congress® Proceedings 1981 (18th) The Year of the Shuttle Apr 1st, 8:00 AM The Delta Launch Vehicle- Past, Present, and Future J. K. Ganoung Manager Spacecraft Integration, McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co. H. Eaton Delta Launch Program, McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co. Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.erau.edu/space-congress-proceedings Scholarly Commons Citation Ganoung, J. K. and Eaton, H., "The Delta Launch Vehicle- Past, Present, and Future" (1981). The Space Congress® Proceedings. 7. https://commons.erau.edu/space-congress-proceedings/proceedings-1981-18th/session-6/7 This Event is brought to you for free and open access by the Conferences at Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Space Congress® Proceedings by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE DELTA LAUNCH VEHICLE - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE J. K. Ganoung, Manager H. Eaton, Jr., Director Spacecraft Integration Delta Launch Program McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co. McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co. INTRODUCTION an "interim space launch vehicle." The THOR was to be modified for use as the first stage, the The Delta launch vehicle is a medium class Vanguard second stage propulsion system, was used expendable booster managed by the NASA Goddard as the Delta second stage and the Vanguard solid Space Flight Center and used by the U.S. rocket motor became Delta's third stage. Government, private industry and foreign coun­ Following the eighteen month development program tries to launch scientific, meteorological, and failure to launch its first payload into or­ applications and communications satellites. It bit, a remarkable series of successful missions has been operational since 1960 and currently established the Delta as a highly reliable has launches scheduled through the 1985 time launch vehicle. A follow-on buy of 14 vehicles period. This paper presents a summary of Delta of greater boost capability continued the history, its current vehicle configuration, the production line. The ensuing years proved to various modifications underway to satisfy ever- be examples of excellent management and tech­ increasing payload performance demands and a nological skill as the Delta Program flourished. look into additional uprating possibilities to The payload performance capability increased by meet potential future requirements. steady increments to satisfy the ever-increasing weight requirements of new spacecraft. Origi­ nally the U.S. Weather Bureau provided the HISTORICAL ROLE OF DELTA demands for increased orbit energy. The scien­ tific community also demanded an increase in On May 13, 1960, the first of what would become booster capability. Then the communications the most utilized non-military U.S. launch satellites became, and are presently, the pre­ vehicle lifted off from the Eastern Test Range. dominant influence in demanding greater payload Delta's first payload was Echo I, a low-altitude volume and weight capability the Delta. passive communications satellite, weighing launch vehicle. By emphasizing a low-cost pro­ 81.6 Kg (179 Ibs); however, this launch was not gram philosophy utilizing various cost- successful. On November 15, 1980, Delta No. 153 effective techniques, the actual increase in placed SBS-A, an active communications satellite cost was only a fraction of the payload perfor­ weighing 1085 Kg (2388 Ibs) into a geosynchro­ mance increase. Simultaneously the emphasis on nous transfer orbit. During the intervening using previously qualified systems during 20 year period, a remarkable launch record has vehicle uprating and designing redundancy into been established by the Delta launch vehicle in new systems kept the launch reliability at an terms of increased vehicle physical size, unprecedented high level, improved reliability, minimal cost increase and outstanding payload performance improvement. A summary of some of the significant modifi­ cations to the original Delta is shown in Table I. Figure 1 graphically illustrates the The origin of Delta dates back to 1955 when the vehicle configuration evolution. Note the U.S. Air Force initiated development of the numerous examples of the use of "existing" THOR Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) systems and components in this building block and the U.S. Navy was developing the Vanguard approach to uprating. The payload capability launch vehicle to be used during the Inter­ growth, associated with these vehicle modifi­ national Geophysical Year. In 1959 the Douglas cations is depicted in Figure 2. Table II Aircraft Company (now the McDonnell Douglas illustrates the variety of spacecraft launched Corporation) was given a contract by NASA's to date. Of the 153 Delta launches, 142 Goddard Space Flight Center to develop, inte­ been successful so that the overall reliability grate and produce 12 launch vehicles for use as is now 92*8 percent (Figure 3). 6-1 TABLE I. GROWTH HISTORY OF DELTA DELTA MODEL YEAR FAIRING FIRST STAGE SECOND STAGE THIRD STAGE DESIGNATION 1960 Modified THOR Vanguard prop, Vanguard X-248 Delta system 1962 Uprated MB-3 engine A 1962 Lengthened tankage Higher energy oxidizer Transistorized guidance elect. 1963 Bulbous Scout developed C fairing X-258 replaced X-248 1964 Augmented thrust D using THOR developed strap-on solid rocket motors 1965 Larger Larger diameter USAF developed E fairing from propel! ant tanks FW-4 replaced USAF Agena from the Able-Star X-258 stage stage. Restart capability 1968 Surveyor retro- J motor modified. TE-364-3 re­ placed FW-4 196S Lengthened LOX and L,M.N RP-1 tanks. In­ creased dia. of RP-1 tanks 1970 Added 3 solid M6 rockets to total 6 1972 Introduced UBT to Titan transtage 903 accommodate 9 engine. Strap- solid rockets down inertia! guidance 1972 Increased dia. Increased length Added interstage Increased motor 1914 and length of tanks. Isogrld and suspended length structure stage within TE-364-4 1973 Replaced MB-3 2914 engine with more powerful RS-27 engine 1975 Increased size of 3914 solid rockets. C-IV replaced C-II 8-2 Tl D C O 33 Spacecraft Wt. (Kg) 3D m m N 0> CD Lr o O) O m Spacecraft Weight (Pounds) TABLE II. SPACECRAFT LAUNCHED BY DELTA Meteorological Satellites Scientific Satellites Improved TIROS Operations System (ITOS) series Explorer series Nimbus series Pioneer series Synchronous Meteorological Satellite (SMS) BIOS series series ESRO-GEOS ESRO Meteosat Aeronomy Explorer (AE) series Japanese Geosynchronous Meteorological Interplanetary Monitoring Platform (IMP) Satellite (GMS) series TIROS-N series ESRO COS-B Geosynchronous Operational Environmental LAGEOS Satellite (GOES) series GEOS series (NASA) Solar Maximum Mission (NASA) Applications Satellites Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO) International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) Relay series SCATHA (USAF) Syncom series LANDSAT series Canadian/U.S. Communication Technology Foreign Communications Satellites Satellite (CIS) Italian SIRIO Canadian TELESAT series ESRO Orbital Test Satellite (OTS) French/German SYMPHONIE series Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) NATO II and III series Japanese Broadcast Satellite (BSE) Japanese Communication Satellite (CS) ISEE series United Kingdom Skynet series Indonesian (PALAPA) series U.S. Domestic Communications Satellites International Communications Satellites Tel star series Western Union (WESTAR) series INTELSAT II series COMSAT Maritime Satellite (MARISAT) series INTELSAT III series Satellite Business Systems (SBS) RCA SATCOM series SATCOM RAE NIMBUS LANDSAT SYMPHONI E Successfully Orbited 142 of 153 50 Communication/Navigation 35 Meteorological 54 Scientific SSIE 3 Earth Observation ITOS FIGURE 3, DELTA LAUNCH HISTORY 1960 THRU 1980 6-4 DELTA TODAY tion of vehicle subsystems is included below, (Reference Figure 5). As in the past 20 years Delta continues to play an important role in NASA's launch vehicle Structural Systems planning activities. The delay of the reusable Space Shuttle has provided an increased impor­ The vehicle consists of five major assemblies: tance to the expendable Delta as an alternate first stage, interstage, second stage, third NASA back-up launch capability. In addition, stage, and fairing. The first stage has an due to the continually expanding requirements engine compartment which houses the main engine, from the scientific and communications satellite vernier engines, pressurization and electrical communities Delta is providing dedicated launch subsystems, and provides the attachments for the opportunities for the overflow from the Shuttle strap-on solid propel 1 ant motors. A liquid manifests. oxygen tank, a centerbody equipment compartment and a fuel tank complete the first stage. The interstage extends from the top of the first The configurations of the Delta which are stage to the second stage mini-skirt. The currently being utilized are primarily the second stage includes the main engine, propel- models 3914 and 3910/PAM. The nomenclature used lant tanks, pressurization and attitude control to define Delta configurations is shown in systems, and guidance and electrical systems. Figure 4. While the RAM has been developed by The second stage is entirely encapsulated within the McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Corporation the interstage and the lower portion of the pay- and is not part of the Delta, it is used as a load shroud (referred to as the fairing), and is third stage of the two-stage 3910 Delta con­ structurally supported by the mini-skirt and figuration. Overall the vehicle is 116 feet
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