Delta II

Delta II
	A Delta II rocket launches from Cape Canaveral carrying the Dawn spacecraft.
Function	Launch vehicle
Manufacturer	McDonnell Douglas; (1989–1997); Boeing Defense, Space & Security (1997–2006); United Launch Alliance (2006–2018);
Country of origin	United States
Cost per launch	US$51 million in 1987; US$137 million in 2018;
Size
Height	38.9 m (128 ft)
Diameter	2.44 m (8 ft)
Mass	152,000–286,100 kg (335,100–630,700 lb)
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Orbital inclination	28.7°
Mass	2,776–6,107 kg (6,120–13,464 lb)
Payload to GTO
Orbital inclination	28.7°
Mass	929–2,180 kg (2,048–4,806 lb)
Payload to SSO
Orbital inclination	98.7°
Mass	1,652–3,182 kg (3,642–7,015 lb)
Launch history
Status	Retired
Launch sites	Cape Canaveral, SLC-17; Vandenberg, SLC-2W;
Total launches	155:; Delta 6000: 17; Delta 7000: 132; Delta 7000 Heavy: 6;
Success(es)	153:; Delta 6000: 17; Delta 7000: 130; Delta 7000 Heavy: 6;
Failure(s)	1 (Delta 7000)
Partial failure(s)	1 (Delta 7000)
First flight	Delta 6000: 14 February 1989 (USA-35); Delta 7000: 26 November 1990 (USA-66); Delta 7000 Heavy: 7 July 2003 (Opportunity rover);
Last flight	Delta 6000: 24 July 1992 (Geotail); Delta 7000: 15 September 2018 (ICESat-2); Delta 7000 Heavy: 10 September 2011 (GRAIL);
Boosters (Delta 6000) – Castor 4A
No. boosters	9
Height	9.2 m (30 ft)
Diameter	1.02 m (3 ft 4 in)
Empty mass	1,457 kg (3,212 lb)
Gross mass	11,578 kg (25,525 lb)
Powered by	Solid
Maximum thrust	478.3 kN (107,500 lbf)
Specific impulse	266 s (2.61 km/s)
Burn time	56 seconds
Propellant	HTPB
Boosters (Delta 7000) – GEM 40
No. boosters	3, 4, or 9
Height	13.0 m (42.7 ft)
Diameter	1.02 m (3 ft 4 in)
Empty mass	1,315 kg (2,899 lb)
Gross mass	13,080 kg (28,840 lb)
Powered by	Solid
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 time	64 seconds
Propellant	AP / HTPB / Al
Boosters (Delta 7000 Heavy) – GEM 46
No. boosters	9
Height	14.7 m (48 ft)
Diameter	1.17 m (3 ft 10 in)
Empty mass	2,035 kg (4,486 lb)
Gross mass	19,040 kg (41,980 lb)
Powered by	Solid
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 time	76 seconds or 178.03 seconds after liftoff
Propellant	APCP / HTPB / Al
First stage – Thor/Delta XLT(-C)
Height	26.1 m (86 ft)
Diameter	2.44 m (8 ft 0 in)
Empty mass	5,680 kg (12,520 lb)
Gross mass	101,800 kg (224,400 lb)
Powered by	1 × RS-27 (6000 series) or RS-27A (7000 series)
Maximum thrust	1,054 kN (237,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	302 s (2.96 km/s)
Burn time	260.5 seconds
Propellant	RP-1 / LOX
Second stage – Delta K
Height	6 m (20 ft)
Diameter	2.44 m (8 ft 0 in)
Empty mass	950 kg (2,090 lb)
Gross mass	6,954 kg (15,331 lb)
Powered by	1 × AJ10-118K
Maximum thrust	43.6 kN (9,800 lbf)
Specific impulse	319 s (3.13 km/s)
Burn time	431 seconds
Propellant	N2O4 / Aerozine 50
Third stage – PAM-D (optional)
Powered by	1 × Star 48B
Maximum thrust	66 kN (15,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	286 s (2.80 km/s)
Burn time	87 seconds
Propellant	HTPB

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.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

^ "Delta II 7920H-10". Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
^ "The Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2018" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation. Bryce Space and Technology. January 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2024. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ ^a ^b ^c Kyle, Ed. "Delta II Data Sheet". spacelaunchreport.com. Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
^ ^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.
^ Cite error: The named reference Castor4A was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Boeing: Integrated Defense Systems – Delta – Delta II Launch Vehicle Family". Archived from the original on 3 November 2006. Retrieved 13 August 2024.

[2] "Delta II 7920H-10". Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2024.

[3] "The Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2018" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation. Bryce Space and Technology. January 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2024. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[data_sheet-4] Kyle, Ed. "Delta II Data Sheet". spacelaunchreport.com. Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.

[Guide-5] ^ ^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.

[Castor4A-6] Cite error: The named reference Castor4A was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[7] "Boeing: Integrated Defense Systems – Delta – Delta II Launch Vehicle Family". Archived from the original on 3 November 2006. Retrieved 13 August 2024.

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