Delta 4000 Explained
Delta 4000 |
Function: | Launch vehicle |
Manufacturer: | McDonnell Douglas |
Country-Origin: | United States |
Cpl: | in 1985 (4925 variant)[1] |
Alt-Cpl: | in 2018 |
Height: | 34m (112feet) |
Diameter: | 2.44m (08.01feet) |
Mass: | 200740kg (442,560lb) |
Stages: | 2 or 3 |
Capacities: | |
Family: | Delta |
Comparable: | Delta 5000, Delta II |
Status: | Retired |
Sites: | Cape Canaveral SLC-17 Vandenberg AFB SLC-2W |
Launches: | 2 |
Success: | 2 |
First: | 28 August 1989 |
Last: | 12 June 1990 |
Stagedata: | Type: | booster | | Number: | 9 | Length: | 9.12m (29.92feet) | Diameter: | 1.02m (03.35feet) | Empty: | 1529kg (3,371lb) | Gross: | 11743kg (25,889lb) | Engines: | Solid | Solid: | yes | Thrust: | 478.3kN | Si: | | Burntime: | 56 s |
Type: | stage | Stageno: | First | Thor/Delta ELT | Length: | 22.4m (73.5feet) | Diameter: | 2.44m (08.01feet) | Empty: | 4059kg (8,949lb) | Gross: | 84067kg (185,336lb) | Engines: | 1 MB-3 | Thrust: | 760.6kN | Si: | | Burntime: | 222 s |
Type: | stage | Stageno: | Second | | Length: | 5.89m (19.32feet) | Diameter: | 2.44m (08.01feet) | Empty: | 950kg (2,090lb) | Gross: | 6954kg (15,331lb) | Thrust: | 43.6kN | Si: | 319 s | Burntime: | 431 s |
Type: | stage | Stageno: | Third | PAM-D (optional) | Length: | 2.03m (06.66feet) | Diameter: | 1.25m (04.1feet) | Empty: | 128kg (282lb) | Gross: | 2137kg (4,711lb) | Solid: | yes | Thrust: | 66kN | Si: | 286 s | Burntime: | 87 s | Propellant: | Aluminum fuel, ammonium perchlorate oxidizer in an HTPB binder |
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The Delta 4000 series was an American expendable launch system which was used to conduct two orbital launches in 1989 and 1990. It was a member of the Delta family of rockets. Although several variants were put forward, only the Delta 4925 was launched. The designations used a four digit numerical code to store information on the configuration of the rocket. It was built from a combination of spare parts left over from earlier Delta rockets, which were being retired, and parts from the Delta II 6000-series, which was just entering service.
The first stage was the MB-3-III powered Extended Long Tank Thor, previously flown on the 1000-series. Nine Castor-4A solid rocket boosters were attached to increase thrust at lift-off, replacing the less powerful Castor-4 boosters used on the 3000 series. The Delta-K was used as a second stage. A Star-48B PAM-D was used as a third stage, to boost payloads into geosynchronous transfer orbit.
Both Delta 4000 launches occurred from Launch Complex 17B at Cape Canaveral. The first launched Marco Polo 1 for BSkyB, and the second launched INSAT 1D for the Indian Space Research Organisation. Both were successful.[2] [3] [4]
Notes and References
- Web site: Delta 4000 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160916222512/http://www.astronautix.com/d/delta4000.html . dead . September 16, 2016 . September 8, 2018.
- Web site: Wade. Mark. Delta. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080724064027/http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/delta.htm. 2008-07-24.
- Web site: Krebs. Gunter. Thor Family. live. 2021-12-21. Gunter's Space Page. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20070806202728/http://space.skyrocket.de:80/doc_lau_fam/thor.htm . 2007-08-06 .
- Web site: Delta 4000. https://web.archive.org/web/20160916222512/http://www.astronautix.com/d/delta4000.html. dead. September 16, 2016. September 8, 2018.