List of Delta IV Heavy launches
The Delta 4 Heavy (Delta 9250H) is an expendable heavy-lift launch vehicle, the largest type of the Delta IV family and the world's second highest-capacity rocket in operation, behind SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket (in expendable configuration) and closely followed by CNSA's Long March 5 Rocket.[1][2] It is manufactured by United Launch Alliance and was first launched in 2004.[3]
The Delta 4 Heavy consists of a central Common Booster Core (CBC), with two additional CBCs as liquid rocket boosters instead of the GEM-60 solid rocket motors used by the Delta IV Medium+ versions. At lift off, all three cores operate at full thrust, and 44 seconds later the center core throttles down to 55% to conserve fuel until booster separation. The boosters burn out at 242 seconds after launch and are separated as the core booster throttles back up to full thrust. The core burns out 86 seconds later, and the second stage completes the ascent to orbit.[4]
The rocket uses three RS-68 engines, one in the central core and one in each booster.[5]
Launch History
Flight | Date | Payload [6] | Mass | Launch site | Outcome [6] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | December 21, 2004 | DemoSat, Sparkie / 3CS-1 and Ralphie / 3CS-2 | ~13,228 pounds (6000 kilograms) | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Partial failure[a] |
2 | November 11, 2007 | DSP-23 Defense Support Program | 11,574 pounds (5,250 kilograms) | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Success |
3 | January 18, 2009 | Orion 6 / Mentor 4 (USA-202 / NROL-26) | Classified | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Success |
4 | November 21, 2010 | Orion 7 / Mentor 5 (USA-223 / NROL-32) | Classified | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Success |
5 | January 20, 2011 | KH-11 Kennen 15 (USA-224 / NROL-49) | <37,479 pounds (17,000 kilograms) | Vandenberg, SLC-6 | Success |
6 | June 29, 2012 | Orion 8 / Mentor 6 (USA-237 / NROL-15) | Classified | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Success |
7 | August 28, 2013 | KH-11 Kennen 16 (USA-245 / NROL-65) | <37,479 pounds (17,000 kilograms) | Vandenberg, SLC-6 | Success |
8 | December 5, 2014 | Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) | 46,297 pounds (21,000 kilograms)[7][b] | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Success |
9 | June 11, 2016 | Orion 9 / Mentor 7 (USA-268 / NROL-37) | Classified | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Success |
10 | August 12, 2018 | Parker Solar Probe[c] | 1,510 pounds (685 kilograms) | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Success |
11 | January 19, 2019 | NROL-71 | Classified | Vandenberg, SLC-6 | Success |
12 | December 11, 2020 | Orion 10 / Mentor 8 (USA-268/ NROL-44)[8][9] | Classified | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Success |
Future launches
Flight | Date | Payload | Mass | Launch site | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
13 | April 29, 2021 | NROL-82 | 41,800 pounds (19,000 kilograms) | Vandenberg, SLC-6 | Planned |
Notes
References
- ^ "Mission Status Center". SpaceflightNow. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
The ULA Delta 4-Heavy is currently the world's largest rocket, providing the nation with reliable, proven, heavy lift capability for our country's national security payloads from both the east and west coasts.
- ^ "Falcon Heavy, SpaceX's Big New Rocket, Succeeds in Its First Test Launch". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
The Falcon Heavy is capable of lifting 140,000 pounds to low-Earth orbit, more than any other rocket today.
- ^ "Boeing Delta IV Heavy Achieves Major Test Objectives in First Flight" Archived 19 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Boeing, 2004, accessed 22 March 2012.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
d4ppg
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Delta 4-Heavy likely heading for geosynchronous orbit with top secret payload". Spaceflight Now. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ a b Krebs, Gunter. "Delta-4". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ^ "NASA Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 PRESS KIT" (PDF). NASA. December 2014. p. 12. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Launch Schedule". Spaceflight Now. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- ^ "Launch Mission Execution Forecast". 45th Weather Squadron - Patrick Air Force Base. 30 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "United Launch Alliance - Delta IV Heavy | NROL-82 Rocket Launch". Space Launch Schedule. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
- ^ "NROL-44 Investigation Underway, As ULA Prepares for Last Delta IV Heavy Missions". AmericaSpace. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2021.