Titan 23G
Encyclopedia
The Titan 23G, Titan IIG, Titan 2(23)G or Titan II SLV was an American
expendable launch system
derived from the LGM-25C Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile
. Retired Titan II missiles were converted by Martin Marietta
, into which the Glenn L. Martin Company
, which built the original Titan II, had merged. It was used to carry payloads for the United States Air Force
, NASA
and NOAA
. Thirteen were launched from Space Launch Complex 4W
at the Vandenberg Air Force Base
between 1988 and 2003.
Titan 23G rockets consisted of two stages burning liquid propellant. The first stage was powered by two Aerojet
LR87 engines, and the second stage was propelled by an LR91. On some flights, solid upper stages were flown, usually the Star-37XFP-ISS; however, the Star-37S was also used.
A contract to refurbish fourteen Titan II missiles to the Titan 23G configuration was awarded to Martin Marietta in January 1986. The first launch occurred on 5 September 1988, carrying a classified payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office
. Thirteen were launched, with the fourteenth going to the Evergreen Aviation Museum
. The final flight occurred on 17 October 2003, carrying a DMSP
satellite.
During refurbishment, the forward structure of the second stage was modified with the addition of a payload attachment fitting to attach the payload to the rocket, and installing a payload fairing
to protect it during launch. The engines were refurbished, and the rockets' guidance and control systems were upgraded by Delco Electronics
.
The former Titan IIIB pad at Vandenberg, SLC-4W, was modified to accommodate the Titan 23G, and was used for all thirteen launches.
at Vandenberg Air Force Base
.
A fourteenth rocket, G-10, based on Titan II B-108, but incorporating an oxygen tank from B-80, was not launched and is preserved at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon
. The remaining 42 Titan II missiles were stored at Davis-Monthan AFB with most being broken up for salvage. Four were transferred to museums.
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...
derived from the LGM-25C Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile
Intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...
. Retired Titan II missiles were converted by Martin Marietta
Martin Marietta
Martin Marietta Corporation was an American company founded in 1961 through the merger of The Martin Company and American-Marietta Corporation. The combined company became a leader in chemicals, aerospace, and electronics. In 1995, it merged with Lockheed Corporation to form Lockheed Martin. The...
, into which the Glenn L. Martin Company
Glenn L. Martin Company
The Glenn L. Martin Company was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company that was founded by the aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin. The Martin Company produced many important aircraft for the defense of the United States and its allies, especially during World War II and the Cold War...
, which built the original Titan II, had merged. It was used to carry payloads for the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
and NOAA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
. Thirteen were launched from Space Launch Complex 4W
Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4
Space Launch Complex 4 , was a launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base, used by Atlas and Titan rockets between 1963 and 2005. It consisted of two separate launch pads, SLC-4W and SLC-4E, which were formerly designated PALC2-3 and PALC2-4 respectively. Both pads were originally built for use by...
at the Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
between 1988 and 2003.
Titan 23G rockets consisted of two stages burning liquid propellant. The first stage was powered by two Aerojet
Aerojet
Aerojet is an American rocket and missile propulsion manufacturer based primarily in Rancho Cordova, California with divisions in Redmond, Washington, Orange, Gainesville and Camden, Arkansas. Aerojet is owned by GenCorp. They are the only US propulsion company that provides both solid rocket...
LR87 engines, and the second stage was propelled by an LR91. On some flights, solid upper stages were flown, usually the Star-37XFP-ISS; however, the Star-37S was also used.
A contract to refurbish fourteen Titan II missiles to the Titan 23G configuration was awarded to Martin Marietta in January 1986. The first launch occurred on 5 September 1988, carrying a classified payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office
National Reconnaissance Office
The National Reconnaissance Office , located in Chantilly, Virginia, is one of the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies. It designs, builds, and operates the spy satellites of the United States government.-Mission:...
. Thirteen were launched, with the fourteenth going to the Evergreen Aviation Museum
Evergreen Aviation Museum
The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is an aviation museum which displays a number of military and civilian aircraft and spacecraft, most notably, the Hughes H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose". The museum is located in McMinnville, Oregon, across the street from the headquarters of Evergreen...
. The final flight occurred on 17 October 2003, carrying a DMSP
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program
The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program monitors meteorological, oceanographic, and solar-terrestrial physics for the United States Department of Defense. The program is now run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The mission of the satellites was revealed in March 1973...
satellite.
During refurbishment, the forward structure of the second stage was modified with the addition of a payload attachment fitting to attach the payload to the rocket, and installing a payload fairing
Payload fairing
Payload fairing is one of the main components of a launch vehicle. The fairing protects the payload during the ascent against the impact of the atmosphere . More recently, an additional function is to maintain the cleanroom environment for precision instruments.Outside the atmosphere the fairing is...
to protect it during launch. The engines were refurbished, and the rockets' guidance and control systems were upgraded by Delco Electronics
Delco Electronics
Delco Electronics Corporation was the automotive electronics design and manufacturing subsidiary of General Motors based in Kokomo, Indiana.The name Delco came from the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co., founded in Dayton, Ohio by Charles Kettering and Edward A...
.
The former Titan IIIB pad at Vandenberg, SLC-4W, was modified to accommodate the Titan 23G, and was used for all thirteen launches.
Launches
All launches of Titan II(23)G rockets took place from Space Launch Complex 4WVandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4
Space Launch Complex 4 , was a launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base, used by Atlas and Titan rockets between 1963 and 2005. It consisted of two separate launch pads, SLC-4W and SLC-4E, which were formerly designated PALC2-3 and PALC2-4 respectively. Both pads were originally built for use by...
at Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
.
| Date/Time (UTC) | Serial number | Third Stage | Payload | Outcome | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocket | Stages | |||||
| 5 September 1988 09:25 |
G-1 | B-98/56 | None | USA-32 (Bernie) | Successful | |
| 6 September 1989 01:48 |
G-2 | B-75/99 | None | USA-45 (Bernie) | Successful | Spacecraft failed immediately after launch |
| 25 April 1992 08:53 |
G-3 | B-102 | None | USA-81 (Bernie) | Successful | |
| 5 October 1993 17:56 |
G-5 | B-65 | Landsat 6 Landsat 6 Landsat 6, equipped with upgraded versions of the instruments on its predecessor, was designed to continue the Landsat program. It was launched on October 5, 1993 using a Titan II launch vehicle, but failed to reach orbit. As a consequence, Landsat 4 and Landsat 5 were used well beyond their... |
Failure | Third stage failure, failed to achieve orbit | |
| 25 January 1994 16:34 |
G-11 | B-89/67 | None | Clementine DSPSE-ISA |
Successful | |
| 4 April 1997 16:47 |
G-6 | B-106 | Star-37S-ISS | Successful | ||
| 13 May 1998 15:52:04 |
G-12 | B-84/80 | Star-37XFP-ISS | NOAA-15 NOAA-15 NOAA-15 is one of the NASA-provided TIROS series of weather forecasting satellite run by NOAA. It was launched on 13 May 1998, and is currently operational, in a sun-synchronous orbit, 807 km above the Earth, orbiting every 101 minutes... (NOAA-K) |
Successful | Included oxygen tank from Titan II B-72 |
| 20 June 1999 02:15:00 |
G-7 | B-99/75 | None | QuikSCAT QuikSCAT The QuikSCAT is an earth-observing satellite that provided estimates of wind speed and direction over the oceans to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and others. This "quick recovery" mission intended to replace the NASA Scatterometer , which failed in June 1997... |
Successful | |
| 12 December 1999 17:36:01 |
G-8 | B-94/44 | Star-37XFP-ISS | USA-147 (DMSP-5D3 F-15) | Successful | |
10:22 |
G-13 | B-96/39 | Star-37XFP-ISS | NOAA-16 NOAA-16 NOAA-16 is one of the NASA-provided TIROS series of weather forecasting satellite run by NOAA. It was launched on 21 September 2000, and is currently operational, in a sun-synchronous orbit, 849 km above the Earth, orbiting every 102 minutes. It hosts the AMSU, AVHRR and High Resolution... (NOAA-L) |
Successful | |
| 24 June 2002 18:23:04 |
G-14 | B-71/72 | Star-37XFP-ISS | NOAA-17 NOAA-17 NOAA-17 is a weather forecasting satellite run by NOAA. It was launched on 24 June 2002, and is currently operational, in a sun-synchronous orbit, 824 km above the Earth, orbiting every 101 minutes. It hosts the AMSU, AVHRR and High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder instruments.APT... (NOAA-M) |
Successful | Included oxygen tank from Titan II B-92 |
| 6 January 2003 14:19 |
G-4 | B-105 | None | Coriolis Coriolis (satellite) The Coriolis satellite is a Naval Research Laboratory and Air Force Research Laboratory earth and space observation satellite launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, on 2003-01-06 at 14:19 GMT.- Windsat :... |
Successful | |
| 18 October 2003 16:17 |
G-9 | B-107 | Star-37XFP-ISS | USA-172 (DMSP-5D3 F-16) | Successful | Final Titan II launch |
A fourteenth rocket, G-10, based on Titan II B-108, but incorporating an oxygen tank from B-80, was not launched and is preserved at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby , an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee...
. The remaining 42 Titan II missiles were stored at Davis-Monthan AFB with most being broken up for salvage. Four were transferred to museums.
See also
- Atlas E/FAtlas E/FThe Atlas E/F, also designated SB-1A was an American expendable launch system and sounding rocket built using parts of decommissioned SM-65 Atlas missiles...
- Dnepr-1
- Minotaur IMinotaur IThe Minotaur I, or just Minotaur is an American expendable launch system derived from the Minuteman II missile. It is used to launch small satellites for the US Government, and is a member of the Minotaur family of rockets produced by Orbital Sciences Corporation.Minotaur I rockets consist of the...
- Minotaur IVMinotaur IVMinotaur IV, also known as Peacekeeper SLV and OSP-2 PK is an active expendable launch system derived from the Peacekeeper missile. It is operated by Orbital Sciences Corporation, and made its maiden flight on 22 April 2010, carrying the HTV-2a Hypersonic Test Vehicle...