History of the Delta Launch Vehicle

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Vehicle Description

Letter Designations....Number Designations....Delta Evolution....Current Family....Payload Fairings


Vehicle      Intro   Stage   Modification

Delta        1960      1     Modified Thor, MB-3 Blk I engine
                       2     AJ10-118 (Vanguard-derived propulsion system)
                       3     Vanguard X-248 motor (Altair)

Delta A      1962      1     MB-3 Blk II engine

Delta B      1962      2     AJ10-118D - tanks lengthened, higher energy oxidizer used

Delta C      1964      3     Scout X-258 motor (Altair 2) or FW-4D [Delta C1]

Delta D      1964      0     3 Thor-developed Castor I motors

Delta E      1965      0     Castor II motors
                       1     MB-3 Blk III engine
                       2     DSV-3E-3 (AJ10-118E) - propellant tanks widened
                       3     Scout X-258 motor (Altair 2) or FW-4D [Delta E1]

(Delta F)                    Delta E1 without augmentation motors - never flown

Delta G      1966      3     none - used a special reentry vehicle for biological
                                    recovery (flights 43 & 51 only)

(Delta H)                    Delta G without augmentation motors - never flown

Delta J      1968      3     TE-364-3 (Star 37D)

(Delta K)                    Cryogenic upper stage design study - never flown

Delta L,M,N  1968      1     Long Tank Thor - tanks lengthened, cylindrical RP-1 tank
                       3     L: FW-4   M: TE-364-3   N: none

M-6,N-6      1970      0     6 Castor II



Four Digit Designator (1972 - 2008)


First digit - Type of First Stage & Augmentation
          0 - Long Tank, MB-3 engine, Castor II motors [1968 baseline]
          1 - Extended Long Tank, MB-3 engine, Castor II motors [1972]
          2 - Extended Long Tank, RS-27 engine, Castor II motors [1974]
          3 - Extended Long Tank, RS-27 engine, Castor IV motors [1975]
          4 - Extended Long Tank, MB-3 engine, Castor IVA motors [1989-90] (2 missions)
          5 - Extended Long Tank, RS-27 engine, Castor IVA motors [1989] (1 mission)
          6 - Extra Extended Long Tank, RS-27 engine, Castor IVA motors [1989]
          7 - Extra Extended Long Tank, RS-27A engine, GEM 40 motors [1990]
          8 - Delta III Tank, RS-27A engine, GEM 46 motors [1998]

Second digit - Number of Augmentation Motors
          3, 4, 6, or 9 solid rocket motors

Third digit - Type of Second Stage
          0 - AJ10-118F (Aerojet) (DSV-3N-4) (Titan 3C Transtage derivative) [1972]
          1 - TR-201 (TRW) * [1972]
          2 - AJ10-118K (Aerojet) [1982]
          3 - RL10B-2 (Pratt & Whitney) [1998]

Fourth digit - Type of Third Stage
          0 - No Third Stage
          2 - FW-4 [1968] (digit never used)
          3 - Star 37D (TE-364-3) [1968]
          4 - Star 37E (TE-364-4) [1972]
          5 - Star 48B (TE-M-799) (PAM-D Derivative) [1989]
          6 - Star 37FM (TE-M-783) [1998]

Dash numbers - Fairing Size
         -8   - 8-foot cylindrical (standard on 1000- thru 3000-series, discontinued)
         -9.5 - 9.5-foot (standard on Delta II, thus omitted from the Flight Log)
         -10  - 10-foot metal skin-and-stringer (discontinued)
         -10C - 10-foot composite
         -10L - lengthened 10-foot composite

Example: Delta 7925-10
          Extra Extended Long Tank, RS-27A engine, nine GEM 40 motors,
          AJ10-118K second stage, Star 48B third stage, 10-foot diameter fairing.


Four Digit Designator (beginning 2008?)


First digit - Type of First Stage
          2 - Delta II booster
          3 - Delta III booster
          4 - Delta IV booster

Second digit - Number of Augmentation Motors
          0, 2, 3, 4, or 9 solid rocket motors

Third digit - Type of Second Stage
          2 - AJ10-118K (Aerojet)
          4 - RL10B-2 (Pratt & Whitney) with 4-meter tankage
          5 - RL10B-2 (Pratt & Whitney) with 5-meter tankage


Fourth digit - Type of Third Stage
          0 - No Third Stage
          5 - Star 48B (TE-M-799) (PAM-D Derivative)
          6 - Star 37FM (TE-M-783)

Auxiliary letter - Alternate Configurations
          blank - Standard
          H - Heavy Configuration
              Delta II - GEM 46 booster motors
              Delta IV - 2 CBC [Common Booster Core] strap-ons

Dash numbers - Fairing Size
          Delta II - diameter in feet
                     9.5 standard, metal skin-and-stringer 
                     10C composite
                     10L lengthened composite
          Delta III, IV - length in meters