Delta 0300 no. 96

The military Thor-Delta vehicles were developed into the first of a series of commercial satellite launch vehicles. The Delta 0100 series featured Castor 2 solid propellant strap-ons and a Long Tank Thor core with MB-3 engine.

Manufacturer: Douglas. Launches: 5. Failures: 1. Success Rate: 80.00%. First Launch Date: 1972-07-23. Last Launch Date: 1973-11-06. Launch data is: complete. Payload: 635 kg (1,399 lb). to a: Geosynchronous transfer trajectory. Associated Spacecraft: ITOS, Landsat 1-2-3, Nimbus, Oscar. Liftoff Thrust: 2,140.700 kN (481,249 lbf). Total Mass: 116,573 kg (256,999 lb). Core Diameter: 2.44 m (8.00 ft). Total Length: 34.00 m (111.00 ft). Flyaway Unit Cost $: 25.330 million. in: 1985 unit dollars.

3 stage vehicle consisting of 3 x Castor 2 + 1 x LT Thor DSV-2L-1C + 1 x DSV-3N-4

Apogee: 1,500 km (900 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 1,590.000 kN (357,440 lbf). Total Mass: 90,100 kg (198,600 lb). Core Diameter: 2.44 m (8.00 ft). Total Length: 34.00 m (111.00 ft).

3 stage vehicle consisting of 9 x Castor 2 + 1 x LT Thor DSV-2L-1C + 1 x DSV-3N-4

LEO Payload: 1,300 kg (2,800 lb). Apogee: 1,500 km (900 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 2,500.000 kN (562,000 lbf). Total Mass: 116,500 kg (256,800 lb). Core Diameter: 2.44 m (8.00 ft). Total Length: 34.00 m (111.00 ft).

• Stage Number: 0. 9 x Stage: Castor 2. Gross Mass: 4,424 kg (9,753 lb). Empty Mass: 695 kg (1,532 lb). Thrust (vac): 258.915 kN (58,206 lbf). Isp: 262 sec. Burn time: 37 sec. Isp(sl): 232 sec. Diameter: 0.79 m (2.59 ft). Span: 0.79 m (2.59 ft). Length: 6.04 m (19.81 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: TX-354-3.

• Stage Number: 1. 1 x Stage: Delta Thor LT. Gross Mass: 70,354 kg (155,104 lb). Empty Mass: 3,715 kg (8,190 lb). Thrust (vac): 866.710 kN (194,844 lbf). Isp: 290 sec. Burn time: 215 sec. Isp(sl): 256 sec. Diameter: 2.44 m (8.00 ft). Span: 2.44 m (8.00 ft). Length: 21.43 m (70.30 ft). Propellants: Lox/Kerosene. No Engines: 1. Engine: MB-3-3. Other designations: Long Tank Thor. Status: Out of production.

• Stage Number: 2. 1 x Stage: Delta F. Gross Mass: 5,629 kg (12,409 lb). Empty Mass: 784 kg (1,728 lb). Thrust (vac): 41.364 kN (9,299 lbf). Isp: 280 sec. Burn time: 335 sec. Isp(sl): 0 sec. Diameter: 1.40 m (4.50 ft). Span: 1.40 m (4.50 ft). Length: 6.28 m (20.60 ft). Propellants: Nitric acid/UDMH. No Engines: 1. Engine: AJ10-118F.

• Stage Number: 3. 1 x Stage: Burner 2. Gross Mass: 774 kg (1,706 lb). Empty Mass: 116 kg (255 lb). Thrust (vac): 43.551 kN (9,791 lbf). Isp: 285 sec. Burn time: 42 sec. Isp(sl): 220 sec. Diameter: 0.66 m (2.16 ft). Span: 0.66 m (2.16 ft). Length: 0.84 m (2.75 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: Star 37. Burner II was a launch vehicle upper stage developed by Boeing for the Air Force Space Systems Division. It was the first solid-fuel upper stage with full control and guidance capability developed for general space applications. Burner II was designed for use with the Thor booster, but was readily adapted for use on the complete range of standard launch vehicles. Its general assignment was to place small- and medium size payloads into orbit. The Burner II motor, guidance system and reaction control system were integrated to provide attitude stability and precise control of flight rate and burnout velocity for orbital injection and earth-escape missions. Boeing had delivered 8 flight vehicles under its original contract. Under terms of a follow-on contract, it built 6 additional flight models. Four Thor-Burner II combinations were launched successfully from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The third launch placed 2 unclassified satellites in Earth orbit. A SECOR satellite, built for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by the Cubic Corporation, and an Aurora satellite, developed by Rice University for the Office of Naval Research, were placed in circular orbits 3,300 km above the Earth. As integration contractor for the Air Force Space Experiment Support Program (SESP) Office, Boeing designed, built and tested the injection stage, or "payload dispenser," which carried the 2 satellites on top of a standard Burner II stage and placed them in precise orbits. The satellites were mounted on opposite sides of the injection stage, which housed a640 kgf thrust, solid-propellant rocket motor. The Burner II was used as an upper stage by NASA for deep space probes. Prime Contractor: The Boeing Company. Major Subcontractors Thiokol Chemical Corporation (solid rocket motor); Honeywell Inc. (pre-programmed inertial guidance system); Walter Kidde Co. (reaction control system).

1972 July 23 - 18:06 GMT - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC2. Launch Pad: SLC2W. Launch Vehicle: Delta 0100. Model: Delta 0900. LV Configuration: Delta 0900 574/D89.

• Landsat 1 Nation: USA. Program: Landsat. Payload: ERTS A. Mass: 816 kg (1,798 lb). Class: Earth. Type: Landsat. Spacecraft: Landsat 1-2-3. Agency: NASA GSF. Perigee: 898 km (557 mi). Apogee: 909 km (564 mi). Inclination: 99.10 deg. Period: 103.10 min. COSPAR: 1972-058A. USAF Sat Cat: 6126. Earth Resources Technology Satellite. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). References: 1, 2, 5, 6.

• NOAA 2 Nation: USA. Program: Tiros. Payload: ITOS D. Mass: 344 kg (758 lb). Class: Earth. Type: Weather. Spacecraft: ITOS. Agency: NOAA. Perigee: 1,449 km (900 mi). Apogee: 1,455 km (904 mi). Inclination: 101.80 deg. Period: 114.90 min. COSPAR: 1972-082A. USAF Sat Cat: 6235. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). References: 1, 2, 5, 6.

• Oscar 6 Nation: USA. Program: Oscar. Payload: Amsat-Oscar-6. Mass: 16 kg (35 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Amateur Radio. Spacecraft: Oscar. Agency: AMSAT-NA. Perigee: 1,449 km (900 mi). Apogee: 1,455 km (904 mi). Inclination: 101.70 deg. Period: 114.90 min. COSPAR: 1972-082B. USAF Sat Cat: 6236. AMSAT-OSCAR 6 was launched piggyback with ITOS-D (NOAA 2). AO-6 was the first phase 2 satellite (Phase II-A). Weight 16 kg. Box shaped 430 x 300 x 150 mm. Quarter-wave monopole antennas (144 and 435 MHz) and half-wave dipole antenna (29 MHz). Firsts: complex control system using discrete logic; satellite-to-satellite relay communication via AO-7; demonstrated doppler-location of ground station for search and rescue; demonstrated low-cost medical data relay from remote locations. Equipped with solar panels powering NiCd batteries, AO-6 provided 24 V at 3.5 W power to three transponders. It carried a Mode A transponder (100 kHz wide at 1 W) and provided store-and-forward morse and teletype messages (named Codestore) for later transmission. AO-6 lasted 4.5 years until a battery failure ceased operation on June 21, 1977. Subsystems were built in the United States, Australia, and Germany.References: 1, 2, 5, 6.

• Nimbus 5 Nation: USA. Payload: Nimbus E. Mass: 722 kg (1,591 lb). Class: Earth. Type: Weather. Spacecraft: Nimbus. Agency: NASA GSF. Perigee: 1,088 km (676 mi). Apogee: 1,101 km (684 mi). Inclination: 100.10 deg. Period: 107.20 min. COSPAR: 1972-097A. USAF Sat Cat: 6305. Environmental research. Primary experiments included a temperature-humidity infrared radiometer (THIR) for measuring day and night surface and cloudtop temperatures as well as the water vapor content of the upper atmosphere, electrically scanning microwave radiometer (ESMR) for mapping the microwave radiation from the earth's surface and atmosphere, infrared temperature profile radiometer (ITPR) for obtaining vertical profiles of temperature and moisture, Nimbus E microwave spectrometer (NEMS) for determining tropospheric temperature profiles, atmospheric water vapor abundances, and cloud liquid water contents, selective chopper radiometer (SCR) for observing the global temperature structure of the atmosphere, and a surface composition mapping radiometer (SCMR) for measuring the differences in the thermal emission characteristics of the earth's surface.References: 1, 2, 5, 6.

• ITOS E Nation: USA. Program: Tiros. Payload: ITOS E. Mass: 345 kg (760 lb). Class: Earth. Type: Weather. Spacecraft: ITOS. Agency: NASA. COSPAR: F730716A. Decay Date: 1973-07-16. Improved TIROS Operational System. References: 5, 126.

• NOAA 3 Nation: USA. Program: Tiros. Payload: ITOS F. Mass: 345 kg (760 lb). Class: Earth. Type: Weather. Spacecraft: ITOS. Agency: NOAA. Perigee: 1,501 km (932 mi). Apogee: 1,510 km (930 mi). Inclination: 102.10 deg. Period: 116.10 min. COSPAR: 1973-086A. USAF Sat Cat: 6920. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). References: 1, 2, 5, 6.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

• Gatland, Kenneth, Missiles and Rockets, Macmillan, New York, 1975. ISBN: 0713735058. Covers rocketry of all nations. More at amazon.com...

• Wilson, Andrew, Spaceflight, "Delta Digest", 1979, Volume 10, page 413.