John F. Kennedy Space Center

Rockets

Juno

The first of the rockets of note is the relatively small Juno or Jupiter-C rocket.

A Three-stage design, developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology, this type of rocket was the one used by the Americans in response to the Russians launch of the first satellite into orbit: "Sputnik" on 4 October, 1957.

Explorer 1/Juno
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When the American Capsule, "Explorer 1" was sent up on 31 January, 1958 from Pad 26A at Launch Complex 5 / 6 (the same Complex which would later Launch the first American into Space), it heralded the very start of the Space Race which would culminate in a sprint for the Moon.

"Explorer 1" stayed in space for its 6-month mission and had the task to measure the radiation trapped in the Earths magnetic field which had been predicted by Dr. Van Allen.

The elliptical orbit of Explorer 1 took it to an altitude of 1,594 miles at maximum distance and brought it back again to a mere 225 miles from the surface of the Earth and right through the fields every few hours.

It sent back data for the full 6-months on what would become known as the Van Allen belt. It is this magnetic field which was responsible for the radio blackout suffered by astronauts during re-entry in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo Projects.

The Explorer 1 Capsule remained in orbit for about 11 years, but finally atmospheric drag drought it down in a fiery burn-up over the Pacific Ocean on 31 March, 1970 having made an astonishing 58,408 orbits of the Earth.

Juno II
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The four-stage Juno II is a straight forward evolution of the three-stage Juno, but with an extra lower stage developed by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency.

This rocket is a Juno II on display in the Rocket Garden at the John F. Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex. It stands 23.4 meters high.

Juno II rockets were responsible for launching the Pioneer deep-space probes and other Explorer-class satellites. It is capable of launching a 90kg spacecraft into a 300 mile orbit, or accelerating a 55kg payload to escape velocity to break free of Earth's gravity permanently.

Redstone

Mercury Redstone
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Redstone rockets were developed by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency and Werner von Braun from his original Vengeance 2 missile which he developed for the German forces in World War II. The Redstone's original purpose was as a field artillery missile.

The 25.3 meter high example in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center - Visitors Complex is a Mercury Redstone rocket. These modified and elongated Redstone rockets were used at the start of the Mercury Project, to flight-test the Mercury Capsules, located on the top, intended to launch a man into space.

MR-3 Launch
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A Mercury Redstone was used to launch the Chimpanzee HAM into space on a sub-orbital flight to test the effects of space flight on a living creature. HAM, happily, survived the flight with no ill effects.

It was one of these Mercury Redstone launch vehicles which propelled the first American, Alan B. Shepard, into space on May 5, 1961 aboard his single-seat Freedom 7 Capsule. The launch of Freedom 7 took place from Pad 5 at the Cape Canaveral Air Station. It was a sub-orbital ballistic trajectory flight took Shepard to an altitude of 116.5 miles and he traveled 303 miles downrange.

Launch Complex 5 & 6, where the Mercury Redstone's were launched from has now been retired and turned into the Air Force Space and Missile Museum and Rocket Garden. On the Cape Canaveral: Then and Now Tour it is possible to see the restored Launch Control Center and famous Launch Pad, which was used for Alan Shepard's flight, amongst others.

Atlas

Mercury Atlas
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The Atlas rocket was originally designed as an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) by the U.S. Air Force Ballistic Division and Convair (a part of General Dynamics at the time). In ICBM form it is capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to another continent.

It has been one of the major backbones of NASA's work since before manned space flight.

Atlas rockets were used to launch the American Chimpanzee ENOS into Orbit before the Mercury Project dared put a man into space.

MA-6 Launch
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Later, it was used as the launch vehicle for four of the manned Mercury missions themselves. Atlas D Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) were modified to for the purposes of taking the one-manned Mercury Capsule into Orbit around the Earth. The Mercury Atlas was a modified design specifically created to carry the one-man Mercury Capsules which was a much heavier payload than the Atlas was originally designed to carry aloft.

Early examples of these modified Atlas rockets had some spectacularly explosive endings. This seems to have been caused by the radical fuel-tank design. The tank itself formed the structure of the rocket and was fine for it's regular payload, but buckled under the weight of the heavy manned capsules. Eventually these problems were overcome.

On February 20, 1962, Lt. Colonel John H. Glenn Jr. flew the Friendship 7 Capsule atop a Mercury Atlas rocket. He became the first American in orbit on that morning.

Atlas Agena
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GATV-6 Launch
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The Atlas has an upper-stage module called an Agena which sat atop the vehicle and which are attached at the Launch Complex.

Some Agena nose cones have propulsion systems, which formed a sort of Second-Stage launch system for launching payloads higher into orbit Other Agenas were without engines.

Both types were used as GATV's (Gemini Agena Target Vehicles) for the Gemini Project crews to use as rendezvous and docking subjects.

Atlas I Delivery
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Atlas I Build-Up
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The Atlas has over 550 successful launches to its name sine the late 1950's and are still used today, albeit a more modern design.

The Atlas I has now been retired, and Lockheed-Martin Astronautics family of Atlas rockets now totals three main derivatives: Atlas II, Atlas III and the all-new Atlas V.

Here are the specifications of the full range of Atlas rockets:

Atlas I Pre-Launch
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Atlas I Launch
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Atlas I:

Atlas Agena - Length: 27.7m, Diameter: 3m

Atlas Stage: - 388,000lb thrust.

Agena Upper Stage: - either unpowered or with single engine producing 16,000lb thrust.

Comment: "The Atlas Agena was used to launch Mariner 2 & 5 to Venus and Mariner 4 to Mars. Atlas Agenas launched both the Ranger and the Lunar Orbiter spacecraft which photographed the Moon. It also launched Agena docking modules for use during Project Gemini".

Atlas II Centaur
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Atlas II Centaur
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Atlas II:

Designed to lift 3,719kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO)

IIA - Length: 47.4m, Diameter: 3.05m, Booster Length: 25m, Centaur Length: 10m, Liftoff mass: 185,427kg

IIAS - Length: 47.4m, Diameter: 3.05m, Booster Length: 25m, Centaur Length: 10m, Liftoff mass: 233,750kg

Atlas Stage: - Uses a single Rocketdyne MA-5A booster producing 490,000lb thrust.

Centaur Stage: - Two Pratt & Whitney RL-10-4-1 engines producing 44,600lb thrust together.

Atlas IIAS uses four additional strap-on Castor IVA Solid Rocket Boosters producing 112,000lb thrust.

Comment: "The Atlas II has a 100% successful launch record for the last 6 years delivering over 40 satellites to their desired orbits".

Atlas III Centaur
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Atlas III:

Designed to lift 4,500kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO)

IIIA - Length: 52.8m, Diameter: 3.05m, Booster Length: 29m, Centaur Length: 10m, Liftoff mass: 220,672kg

IIIB - Length: 53.1m, Diameter: 3.05m, Booster Length: 29m, Centaur Length: 11.68m, Liftoff mass: 225,392kg

Atlas Stage: - A single Russian RD AMROSS RD-180 throttleable engine producing 860,200lb thrust.

Centaur Upper Stage (IIIA): - A single Pratt & Whitney RL-10-4-2 engine producing 22,300lb thrust.

Centaur Upper Stage (IIIB): - Dual-Pratt & Whitney RL-10-4-2 engines producing 44,600lb thrust together.

Comment: "The Atlas IIIA first flew in mid-1999. The IIIB in mid-2000.".

Atlas V
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Atlas V:

Designed to lift 8,200kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO)

300 Series: - Length: 58.3m, Diameter: 3.81m, Booster Length: 32.4m, Centaur Length: 11.68m, Liftoff mass: (not published)

400 Series: - Length: 58.3m, Diameter: 3.81m, Booster Length: 32.4m, Centaur Length: 11.68m, Liftoff mass: 734,850kg

500 Series: - Length: 62.2m, Diameter: 3.81m, Booster Length: 32.4m, Centaur Length: 11.68m, Liftoff mass: (not published)

Heavy Series: - Length: 62.2m, Diameter: 3.81m, Booster Length: 32.4m, Centaur Length: 11.68m, Liftoff mass: 540,340kg

Atlas Stage: - A single Russian RD AMROSS RD-180 throttleable engine producing 860,200lb thrust.

Additional Boosters: - Up to five Common Core Booster(tm) Solid Rocket Boosters (Length: 32.5m, Diameter 3.8m, Thrust (not published)

Centaur Upper Stage: - Dual-Pratt & Whitney RL-10-4-2 engines producing 44,600lb thrust together.

Comment: "Due to become operational in late 2001".

These variants have, and will continue to be used to put many objects into orbit for both military and corporate purposes launched from Launch Complex 36A & 36B at Cape Canaveral and also Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

ICBM Row
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The Atlas ICBM missiles, while still in use, were launched from Launch Complexes 11, 12, 13 and 14 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station - an area known locally at the time as "ICBM Row".

In mid-2000 an Atlas Centaur was successfully launched from the Cape using Russian RD-180 engines carrying a French payload. This is a good demonstration of just how international co-operation is benefiting the whole space program.

The Atlas-V is being developed currently and will launch from the new Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Station in late 2001. Vandenberg are also preparing Launch Complex 3W for the new Atlas V.

Delta

Thor-Able IRBM

The Delta rocket, was originally developed by North American for the U.S. Air Force as an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM), called a "Thor", in the mid 1950's. It was a singe-stage liquid-fueled rocket.

The division of North American which built the Thor would later be bought by McDonnell Douglas and turned into their Astronautics Corporation. This in turn was later acquired by the Boeing Company who currently builds and operates the modern family of Delta launch vehicles.

Modern Delta Family of Launch Vehicles
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The Delta family of rockets are the evolutionary launch vehicles designed for lifting unmanned medium-weight payloads into orbit and beyond.

The Delta first flew on 13 May, 1960 when it launched an Echo passive communications satellite from one of two custom-designed pads at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Delta's also launch from two pads on Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA.

There have been more than 280 Delta launches, of various types, since that time.

The original Delta I, and the Thor IRBM it was based upon have both now been retired from active Launch Programmes.

Vandenberg have launched ESSA Weather Satellites and the Tiros satellite using Delta launch vehicles. Cape Canaveral has been responsible for launching Telesat, Westar and Skynet communications Satellites - using a variety of Delta's.

More recently, the Deep Space 1 probe was launched successfully from Cape Canaveral using a Delta II configured with nine booster rockets. Deep Space 1 has a barrage of new technologies onboard including the first practical Ion Propulsion Engine, and a very sophisticated independant navigation and tracking systems.

Delta II Launch Vehicles

Delta II (MPL)
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Delta II (MPL)
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The Delta II is a medium-capacity launch vehicle. Built by the Boeing Company in Huntingdon Beach, CA and the engines are built by subsidiary company Rocketdyne in Canoga Park, CA. Final assembly takes place at Boeing's facility in Pueblo, CO.

Delta II (ACE)
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The Delta II is a very configurable rocket. Typically, the three-stage design lifts 2.7-5.8 metric tons (6,020 to 12,820lb) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) while the three-stage designs lift around 1-2 metric tons (1,980 to 4,550lb) to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) or to lift payloads to escape velocities to escape the Earth's gravity completely.

This variety of configuration has been broken-down into five basic vehicles in the range from the small 7326-10 through the 7425-10, 7925-10, 7925 to the largest variant, the 7925-H10L.

The Delta II can use up to nine additional strap-on solid-rocket-fuel boosters on the first stage to increase thrust. On the left (and below) is the 7925-10 used to launch the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) on 25 August, 1997. This required all nine boosters. On the right is the 7425-10 configuration of four boosters used to launch the Mars Polar Lander (MPL) on 3 January, 1999.

These boosters are used in three configurations: 3, 4 and 9 boosters. The configuration of all nine boosters launches with six boosters alight, dispose of those when expended, and finally the last three boosters at altitude, so providing sustained extra thrust throughout the duration of the first stage of the Delta II itself.

The largest Delta II configuration, the 7925-H10L, uses enlarged and more powerful strap-on booster rockets. These are rated at 25% more power than the regular ones and burn for slightly longer too. Three of the boosters also have directional control and so provide additional directional control for this heavy rocket.

The Delta II uses a variety of Upper Stage Payload Fairings for different requirements:

Delta II Payload Fairings
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Aluminium:
Length: ~8.5m, Diameter: 2.9m,
Max. Payload Length: 6.49m*, Max. Payload Diameter: 2.54m

Composite:
Length: ~9.0, diameter 3.0m,
Max. Payload Length: 6.838m*, Max. Payload Diameter: 2.743m

Stretch Composite:
Length: 9.2m, Diameter: 3.0m,
Max. Payload Length: 7.2m*, Max. Payload Diameter: 2.743m

*NOTE: Payloads are 1.81m shorter if the optional Upper Stage Booster Engine is required.

Delta III Launch Vehicle

The Delta III is a development design improving upon the Delta II. It is another medium-capacity expendable launch vehicle, although it is capable of lifting nearly twice the weight of the largest Delta II - and in a physically larger package too.

The first Delta III launched from Cape Canaveral in August, 1998 and the schedule for the Delta III currently runs to 18 launches through 2002.

Like its predecessor, nine Solid Rocket Boosters, of a slightly larger design, are attached to aid the first stage into orbit. Unlike the Delta II, the boosters have always been used on all Delta III missions to date and for all planned future missions and are considered standard equipment, not optional.

One other addition over the Delta II is on the main stage. There are two small directional rocket engines for maneuvering during launch. This aids directional stability for this much heavier rocket.

The Payload Fairings for the Delta III is a completely new design:

Delta III Payload Fairings
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Composite:
Length: ~10.4m, Diameter: 4.0m
Max. Payload Length: 8.892m*, Max. Payload Diameter: 3.749m

Delta IV Launch Vehicles

LC-37 Delta-IV

Boeing are building a new variant of the Delta: The Delta-IV for the very competitive earth-orbiting satellite launching business. The size and weight of payloads is increasing rapidly and the Delta IV will be targeted at the high and medium payload market.

The new family of Delta IV rockets will consist of five variants based around a Commonly Booster Core (CBC) shared across the range.

The first variant is the Delta IV Medium, which uses the CBC first stage, and a second stage derived from a modified second stage used on the Delta III. It will be capable of lifting roughly the same capacity as the Delta III can, but it should do so at improved costs.

The three variants in the middle of the range are described as Delta IV Medium Plus models. Again they utilise the CBC first stage, but are augmented by two or four strap-on Solid Rocket Boosters.

The three variants are described by two numbers. The first is the diameter of the payload fairing, the second is the number of boosters utilised. The 4,2, 5,2 and the 5,4 models are self-descriptive in this context. The two larger variants also include extra fuel capacity and a more powerful custom-designed second stage.

The fifth and final mode in the Delta IV range is the Delta IV Heavy variant which will be the largest Delta by far. It makes use of three full Common Booster Core (CBC) units together for lift-off producing a fearsome amount of thrust. Combined with the larger second stage from the Medium Plus range, it will be capable of launching very large and heavy objects into GTO, LEO and to escape velocities.

Delta IV Payload Fairings
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Delta IV Medium:
Length: 11.8m, Diameter: 4.0m,
Max. Payload Length: 11.421m, Max. Payload Diameter: 3.75m

Delta IV Medium Plus - 4,2
Length: 11.8m, Diameter: 4.0m,
Max. Payload Length: 11.421m, Max. Payload Diameter: 3.75m

Delta IV Medium Plus - 5,2 & 5,4:
Length: 14.3m, Diameter: 5.0m,
Max. Payload Length: 13.254m, Max. Payload Diameter: 4.572m

Delta IV Heavy - Standard:
Length: 19.1m, Diameter: 5.0m,
Max. Payload Length: 17,802m, Max. Payload Diameter: 4.572m

Delta IV Heavy - Aluminium Isogrid:
Length: 19.8m, Diameter: 5.0m,
Max. Payload Length: 18.064m, Max. Payload Diameter: 4.572m

Delta IV Heavy - Dual Manifest (Small):
Length: 19.1m, Diameter: 5.0m,
Max. Payload Length: 17,801m, Max. Payload Diameter: 4.572m

Delta IV Heavy - Dual Manifest (Large):
Length: 22.4m, Diameter: 5.0m,
Max. Payload Length: 21,325m, Max. Payload Diameter: 4.572m

Vandenberg Delta IV
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These Delta IV's are planned to be launched from two launch-pads at the Cape Canaveral Air Station Launch Complex 37 and a two-pad complex at Vandenberg Air Force Base which are all still being re-fabricated by Boeing.

LC-37 at the Cape is where a lot of historic Saturn-1 and Saturn-1B rockets were launched during the Apollo, Apollo-Soyuz and SkyLab missions in the 1960's and 1970's.

The specifications of the Delta family of rockets are as follows:

Thor IRBM:

Thor IRBM

Designed as an intermediate range launch vehicle carrying a conventional warhead into enemy territory on a ballistic trajectory.

Length: 22.0m, Diameter: 2.4m, Booster Length: 18.4m, Fairing Length: 1.6m, Liftoff mass: 49,340kg

Thor rocket: (Thor DM-19A) - Single Aerojet LR-79-7 engine producing 148,860lb thrust. Fuel: Kerosene and Liquid Oxygen.

Flyaway cost: - $0.75 million in 1958 unit US dollars.

Comment: "The Thor was built en-mass with 160 manufactured as a defensive weapon. Thankfully, it was never launched in anger".

Delta I:

Delta I
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Designed to lift 45kg into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and 227kg payload into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Length: 31.0m, Diameter: 2.4m, Booster Length: 27.0m, Fairing Length: 4.0m, Liftoff mass: 54,050kg

First Stage: (Thor DM-19) - A single Aerojet LR-79-7 engine producing 148,860lb thrust. Fuel: Kerosene and Liquid Oxygen.

Second Stage: (Delta 104) - A single Aerojet AJ10-104 engine producing 7,750lb thrust. Fuel: Unsymetrical Dimethylhdrazine (UDMH) and inhibited red fuming nitric acid.

Third Stage: (Altair 1) - A single Thiokol X248 engine producing 2,800lb thrust. Fuel: Solid Propellant.

Flyaway cost: - $7.27 million in 1985 unit US dollars.

Comment: "The original variant of, probably, the most commonly used rocket in NASA's arsenal".

Delta II: (7925)

Delta II (ACE)
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Designed to lift 1,869kg into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and5,139kg into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Length: 38.1m, Diameter: 2.44m, Stage 1 Length: 26.1m, Stage 2 Length: 5.9m, Fairing Length: 2.0m, Booster Length: 13.0m, Booster diameter: 1.0m, Liftoff mass: 230,000kg

First Stage: (Delta Thor XLT-C) - A single Rocketdyne RS-27C engine producing 200,000lb thrust. Fuel: Liquid Oxygen and RP-1.

Second Stage: (Delta K) - A single Aerojet AJ10-118K engine producing 9,753lb thrust. Fuel: Aerozine 50 & N2O4.

Star Upper Stage: (PAM-D) - A single Thiokol Star-48B Solid Rocket Motor producing 17,300lb thrust for 88secs. Fuel: AP /Al.

Strap-On Boosters: - 3, 4 or 9 Boosters, each powered by a single Alliant Techsystems GEM Solid Rocket Motor producing 112,241lb thrust for 55secs. Fuel: Graphite-Epoxy HTPB.

Flyaway cost: - $50.0 million in 1994 unit US dollars.

Comment: "The Strap-On Boosters provide easy and economical configuration which allows the Delta II a very wide range of uses.".

Delta III: (Orion)

Delta III Orion
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Designed to lift 3,810kg into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and 8,292kg into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Length: 39.1m, Diameter: 4.0m, Booster Length: 20.0m, Fairing Length: 8.8m, Booster Length: 14.7m, Booster diameter: 1.2m, Liftoff mass: 307,350kg

First Stage: - A single Rocketdyne RS-27A engine producing 200,000lb thrust. Fuel: Liquid Oxygen and RP-1.

Second Stage: - A single Pratt & Whitney RL10B-2 engine producing 20,800lb thrust. Fuel: Cryogenic Liquid Oxygen & Liquid Hydrogen..

Star Upper Stage: - A single Thiokol Star-48B Solid Rocket Motor producing 17,300lb thrust for 88secs. Fuel: AP /Al.

Strap-On Boosters: - 9 Boosters, each powered by a single Alliant Techsystems GEM Solid Rocket Motor producing 140,000lb thrust. Booster Diameter: 1.17m, Fuel: Graphite-Epoxy HTPB.

Flyaway cost: - (currently unpublished).

Comment: "Using many of the same production facilities as the Delta II, this rocket is a very economical way to launch much larger payloads, however the only launch so far of the Delta III, on 27 August, 1998, failed 75 seconds into its flight due to guidance system failure".

Delta IV: (Heavy)

Designed to lift 13,200kg into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and 22,700kg into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Length: 60.0m, Diameter: 5.0m, Booster Length: 41.6m, Fairing Length: 19.1m, Booster Length: 41.6m, Booster diameter: 5m, Liftoff mass: 724,078kg

First Stage: (Delta RS-68) - Three Common Booster Core (CBC) boosters each with a single Rocketdyne RS-68 engine producing 663,000lb thrust. Fuel: Cryogenic Liquid Oxygen and Liquid Hydrogen.

Second Stage: (Delta 4) - A single Pratt & Whitney RL10B-2 engine producing 20,800lb thrust. Fuel: Cryogenic Liquid Oxygen & Liquid Hydrogen..

Flyaway cost: - (currently unavailable).

Comment: "This will be a very powerful family of rockets for the new demands being placed on launch systems around the world, it should secure the Delta as one of the foremost launch vehicles in the world and be capable of deploying all manner of payloads at very reasonable costs".

Titan

Titan I ICBM

Titan I ICBM

There is a three-stage Titan I rocket laying-down in the Air Force Space and Missile Museum's Rocket Garden at the John F. Kennedy Space Center. The Titan was developed, like most rockets, at the Cape Canaveral Air Station.

This Lockheed Martin-designed rocket formed the major part of the arsenal of Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM's) aimed at the U.S.S.R. during the Cold-War and also later inspired it's replacements, such as the Minuteman.

Titan I was capable of launching a ten mega-ton Nuclear Warhead should the need ever arise - something which, thankfully, never occurred. It's replacement; the Titan II was even more powerful and could carry larger warheads even further. This missile became the real backbone of America's nuclear deterrent force.

Gemini-III
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At the end of Mercury Project, NASA required a much more powerful rocket than the Redstone or the Atlas to launch two men into space to perfect the equipment and procedures for the race to the Moon. The Titan II was chosen as the rocket most suitable for the next phase: Gemini.

The Rocket Garden
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Dominating the standing display at the Rocket Garden at the John F. Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex is the Gemini Titan II. This modified two-stage Titan II was capable of carrying the fairly heavy two-man capsule on the top. It eventually launched all ten manned Gemini Capsules successfully.

Launch Complex 19, where all of the Gemini Titan II rockets were launched from has been decommissioned and a signboard bearing the names of all the Gemini astronauts now stands at the entrance. It can be seen on the Cape Canaveral: Then and Now Tour, just near to the Historic Mercury Atlas pads.

Today those Titan II ICBM's are being put to use in a more peaceful role by Lockheed Martin. After a full re-fit they are capable of lifting heavy commercial and military satellites into Earth orbit at a very economical cost indeed.

The Titan III is an evolutionary descendant of the Titan II. There are two main types of Titan III.

First there is the three-stage variant, which simply puts a smaller third stage on the top of the existing Titan II. The A and B variants are of this type.

Secondly, there is the series which builds on the three-stage design and adds two large and very powerful solid rocket boosters strapped to the first stage. This increased the payload capacity drastically over previous Titan's. These variants start from the C designation through to the M - used for the MOL which was a man-rated rocket which was cancelled before it ever flew.

The newest Titan variant, in the form of the Titan IV are being launched at Launch Complex 40 to put satellites into orbit for the U.S. Military and for Corporate uses such as Telecommunications satellites.

Titan I:

Titan I ICBM

Designed as an inter-continental ballistic missile, as a backup to the Atlas, carrying a nuclear warhead into enemy territory.

Length: 31.0m, First Stage Diameter: 3.1m, Second Stage Diameter: 2.3m, First Stage Booster Length: 16.0m, Second Stage Booster Length: 9.8m, Liftoff mass: 105,142kg

First Stage: (Titian 1-1) - Dual Aerojet LR-87-3 engines producing 330,000lb thrust. Fuel: Kerosene and Liquid Oxygen.

Second Stage: (Titian 1-2) - Single Aerojet LR-91-3 engine producing 80,000lb thrust. Fuel: Kerosene and Liquid Oxygen.

Flyaway cost: - $1.5 million in 1962 unit US dollars.

Comment: "Replaced by the Titan II, the Titan I was a backbone of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile force for NORAD during the Cold War".

Titan II:

Titan II ICBM

Designed as a replacement inter-continental ballistic missile to the Titan I carrying a larger nuclear warhead into enemy territory.

Length: 36.0m, First Stage Diameter: 3.1m, Second Stage Diameter: 3.1m, First Stage Booster Length: 22.3m, Second Stage Booster Length: 7.9m, Liftoff mass: 150,530kg

First Stage: (Titan 2-1) - Dual Aerojet LR-87-7 engines producing 488,000lb thrust. Fuel: N2O4 and Aerozine 50.

Second Stage: (Titan 2-2) - Single Aerojet LR-91-7 engine producing 100,000lb thrust. Fuel: N2O4 and Aerozine 50.

Flyaway cost: - $3.16 million in 1969 unit US dollars.

Comment: "When it replaced the Titan I, The Titan II was the dominant ICBM used during the cold war to keep the peace through deterrent. It also formed the basis for the Gemini missions preparing man to go to the Moon. The Titan II is still in use today".

Titan III:

Titan IIIa

Designed to lift 3,000kg into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and 13,100kg into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Length: 42.0m, First Stage Diameter: 3.1m, Second Stage Diameter: 3.1m, Third Stage Diameter: 3.1m, C variant Strap-on Booster Diameter: 3.1m, First Stage Booster Length: 22.3m, Second Stage Booster Length: 7.9m, C variant Third Stage Booster Length: 4.6m, Strap-on Booster Length: 25.9m, Liftoff mass: 161,730kg

First Stage: (Titan 3A-1) - Dual Aerojet LR-87-11 engines producing 526,000lb thrust. Fuel: N2O4 and Aerozine 50.

Second Stage: (Titan 3A-2) - Single Aerojet LR-91-11 engine producing 102,000lb thrust. Fuel: N2O4 and Aerozine 50.

Titan IIIc

Third Stage: (Titan Transtage) - Dual Aerojet AJ10-138 engines producing 16,000lb thrust. Fuel: N2O4 and Aerozine 50.

'C' variant Strap-On Boosters: (Titan UA1205)- 2 Boosters, each powered by a single United Technologies 1205 Solid Rocket Motor producing 655,000lb thrust for 115secs. Fuel: Solid.

Flyaway cost: - $30.74 (A variant) or $66.7 (C variant) million in 1985 unit US dollars.

Comment: "An evolution of the Titan II, the Titan III adds extra stages and optional solid-rocket boosters for significant additional lift capability.".

Titan IV:

Titan IV

Designed to lift 6,350kg into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and 17,700kg into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Length: 51.0m, First Stage Diameter: 3.1m, Second Stage Diameter: 3.1m, Third Stage Diameter: 4.3m, Strap-on Booster Diameter: 3.1m, First Stage Booster Length: 26.4m, Second Stage Booster Length: 9.9m, Third Stage Booster Length: 6.1m, Strap-on Booster Length: 34.1m, Liftoff mass: 886,420kg

First Stage: (Titan 4-1) - Dual Aerojet LR-87-11 engines producing 545,000lb thrust. Fuel: N2O4 and Aerozine 50.

Second Stage: (Titan 4-2) - Single Aerojet LR-91-11 engine producing 103,000lb thrust. Fuel: N2O4 and Aerozine 50.

Third Stage: (Centaur G) - Dual Pratt & Whitney RL-10A-3A engines producing 33,000lb thrust. Fuel: LH2 and Liquid Oxygen.

Strap-On Boosters: (Titan UA1207)- 2 Boosters, each powered by a single United Technologies 1207 Solid Rocket Motor producing 800,000lb thrust for 120secs. Fuel: Solid.

Flyaway cost: - $89.36 million in 1985 unit US dollars.

Comment: "The Titan IV is a completely re-worked Titan III with every system, improved, extended and simply made better. It finally puts to use the 7-segment solid rocket motors developed for the man-rated MOL project 25 years earlier.".

Last modified: 2nd July 2001