Delta B
Encyclopedia
The Delta B, or Thor-Delta B was an American
expendable launch system
used for nine orbit
al launches between 1962 and 1964. A derivative of the Thor-Delta
, it was a member of the Delta family of rockets.
The first stage was a Thor
missile in the DM-21 configuration, and the second stage was the Delta D, which was derived from the earlier Delta. An Altair
solid rocket motor was used as a third stage.
All nine launches occurred from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Launch Complex 17
. Most of the launches carried communications satellites, including Syncom-1
and Syncom-2
. Syncom-1 was intended to be the first satellite to be placed into a geosynchronous orbit
, however the spacecraft malfunctioned prior to reaching this orbit. Syncom-2 subsequently became the first geosynchronous satellite, and was placed at 55° west
of the Greenwich Meridian. The final launch failed due to third stage underperformance, all other launches were successful.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
expendable launch system
Expendable launch system
An expendable launch system is a launch system that uses an expendable launch vehicle to carry a payload into space. The vehicles used in expendable launch systems are designed to be used only once , and their components are not recovered for re-use after launch...
used for nine orbit
Orbit
In physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System...
al launches between 1962 and 1964. A derivative of the Thor-Delta
Thor-Delta
The Thor-Delta, also known as Delta DM-19 or just Delta was an early American expendable launch system used for 12 orbital launches in the early 1960s. A derivative of the Thor-Able, it was a member of the Thor family of rockets, and the first member of the Delta family.The first stage was a Thor...
, it was a member of the Delta family of rockets.
The first stage was a Thor
PGM-17 Thor
Thor was the first operational ballistic missile of the U.S. Air Force . Named after the Norse god of thunder, it was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was in height and in diameter. It was...
missile in the DM-21 configuration, and the second stage was the Delta D, which was derived from the earlier Delta. An Altair
Altair (rocket stage)
The Altair was a solid-fuel rocket with a fiberglass casing, initially developed for use as the third stage of Vanguard rockets. It was manufactured by Allegany Ballistics Laboratory as the X-248. It was also sometimes called the Burner 1.-Uses:...
solid rocket motor was used as a third stage.
All nine launches occurred from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...
Launch Complex 17
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 17 , previously designated Launch Complex 17 , was a launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida used for Thor and Delta rocket launches between 1958 and 2011....
. Most of the launches carried communications satellites, including Syncom-1
Syncom
Syncom started as a 1961 NASA program for active geosynchronous communication satellites, all of which were developed and manufactured by Hughes Space and Communications...
and Syncom-2
Syncom
Syncom started as a 1961 NASA program for active geosynchronous communication satellites, all of which were developed and manufactured by Hughes Space and Communications...
. Syncom-1 was intended to be the first satellite to be placed into a geosynchronous orbit
Geosynchronous orbit
A geosynchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth with an orbital period that matches the Earth's sidereal rotation period...
, however the spacecraft malfunctioned prior to reaching this orbit. Syncom-2 subsequently became the first geosynchronous satellite, and was placed at 55° west
55th meridian west
The meridian 55° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, North America, the Atlantic Ocean, South America, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
of the Greenwich Meridian. The final launch failed due to third stage underperformance, all other launches were successful.