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History of the Delta Launch Vehicle

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To Reach the High Frontier: A History of U.S. Launch Vehicles

"A valuable contribution to the field of aerospace literature," this book includes an extensive overview of Delta history and development along with chapters on Atlas, Titan, Scout, Space Shuttle, and much more.

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Performance Specifications



Vehicle    Propulsion              Stage or   Propellants     Thrust   Dimensions(ft or lb) Performance      
           St Engines              Motor      (oxid/fuel)      (lb.)   Dia. Len.   weight    LEO    GTO    Esc      

Thor-Delta 1  1xRocketdyne MB-3    Thor       LOX/RP1        165,000   8.0        112,000     500    100
           2  1xAerojet AJ10-118   Vanguard   IWFNA/UDMH       7,700
           3  1xABL X-248          Vanguard   Solid            2,800

Delta A    1  1xRocketdyne MB-3-2  Thor       LOX/RP1        170,000   8.0                           150
           2  1xAerojet AJ10-118   Vanguard   IWFNA/UDMH       7,700
           3  1xABL X-248          Vanguard   Solid            2,800

Delta B    1  1xRocketdyne MB-3-2  Thor       LOX/RP1        170,000   8.0                           150
           2  1xAerojet AJ10-118D  Vanguard   IRFNA/UDMH       7,890
           3  1xABL X-248          Vanguard   Solid            2,800

Delta C    1  1xRocketdyne MB-3-2  Thor       LOX/RP1        170,000   8.0                           180
           2  1xAerojet AJ10-118D  Vanguard   IRFNA/UDMH       7,890
           3  1xABL X-258          Scout      Solid            5,800   1.7   5.0
      C1   3  1xFW-4D                         Solid            5,740   1.7   5.0

Delta D    1  1xRocketdyne MB-3-2  Thor       LOX/RP1        170,000   8.0        143,100   1,000    230    120
           1  3xThiokol TX-33      Castor     Solid          162,000   2.6  24.3
           2  1xAerojet AJ10-118D  Vanguard   IRFNA/UDMH       7,890
           3  1xABL X-258          Scout      Solid            5,800   1.7   5.0

Delta E    1  1xRocketdyne MB-3-3  Thor       LOX/RP1        172,000   8.0  60.4            1,190    330    225
           1  3xThiokol TX354-5    Castor 2   Solid          185,400   2.6  24.3
           2  1xAerojet AJ10-118E  DSV-3E-3   IRFNA/UDMH       7,890   5.8  13.0
           3  1xABL X-258          Scout      Solid            5,800   1.7   5.0
      E1   3  1xFW-4D                         Solid            5,740   1.7   5.0

Delta J    1  1xRocketdyne MB-3-3  Thor       LOX/RP1        172,000   8.0                           580
           1  3xThiokol TX354-5    Castor 2   Solid          185,400   2.6  24.3
           2  1xAerojet AJ10-118E  DSV-3E-3   IRFNA/UDMH       7,890   5.8  13.0
           3  1xTE-364-3           Star 37D   Solid            9,680

Delta M    1  1xRocketdyne MB-3-3  LT Thor    LOX/RP1        172,000   8.0  70.3                     785
           1  3xThiokol TX354-5    Castor 2   Solid          185,400   2.6  24.3
           2  1xAerojet AJ10-118E  DSV-3E-3   IRFNA/UDMH       7,890   5.8  13.0
           3  1xTE-364-3           Star 37D   Solid            9,680
           
Delta M-6  1  1xRocketdyne MB-3-3  LT Thor    LOX/RP1        172,000   8.0                         1,000
           1  6xThiokol TX354-5    Castor 2   Solid          370,000   2.6  24.3
           2  1xAerojet AJ10-118E  DSV-3E-3   IRFNA/UDMH       7,890   5.8  13.0
           3  1xTE-364-3           Star 37D   Solid            9,680
         
Delta 904  1  1xRocketdyne MB-3-3  LT Thor    LOX/RP1        172,000   8.0                         1,400
           1  9xThiokol TX354-5    Castor 2   Solid          556,000
           2  1xAerojet AJ10-118F  DSV-3N-4   N2O4/N2H4-UDMH    9,300
           3  1xTE-364-4           Star 37E   Solid           15,000

Delta 1604 1  1xRocketdyne MB-3-3  ELT Thor   LOX/RP1        172,000   8.0
           1  6xThiokol TX354-5    Castor 2   Solid          370,000
           2  1xAerojet AJ10-118F  DSV-3N-4   N2O4/N2H4-UDMH    9,300
           3  1xTE-364-4           Star 37E   Solid           15,000

Delta 2913 1  1xRocketdyne RS-27   ELT Thor   LOX/RP1        205,000   8.0        291,000   4,400  1,593  1,060
           1  9xThiokol TX354-5    Castor 2   Solid          556,000
           2  1xTRW TR-201                    N2O4/N2H4-UDMH    9,850
           3  1xTE-364-3           Star 37D   Solid            9,680

Delta 3914 1  1xRocketdyne RS-27   ELT Thor   LOX/RP1        205,000   8.0        420,000          2,100  1,320
           1  9xThiokol TX526-2    Castor 4   Solid          767,400
           2  1xTRW TR-201                    N2O4/N2H4-UDMH    9,850
           3  1xTE-364-4           Star 37E   Solid           15,000

3910/PAM   1  1xRocketdyne RS-27   ELT Thor   LOX/RP1        231,600   8.0  74.8  423,000          2,400  1,650
           1  9xThiokol TX526-2    Castor 4   Solid          810,400   3.3  36.6  428,300
           2  1xTRW TR-201         Delta      N2O4/N2H4-UDMH    9,850
           3  1xThiokol Star 48    PAM-D      Solid           13,000

3920/PAM-D 1  1xRocketdyne RS-27   ELT Thor   LOX/RP1        231,600   8.0  74.8  423,000          2,830  2,000
           1  9xThiokol TX526-2    Castor 4   Solid          810,400   3.3  36.6  428,300
           2  1xAerojet AJ10-118K             N2O4/N2H4-UDMH   10,000   
           3  1xThiokol Star 48    PAM-D      Solid           15,000   4.0   6.7

6920       1  1xRocketdyne RS-27   EELT Thor  LOX/RP1        231,600   8.0  86.8  483,700          3,190  2,270
 (2-stage) 1  9xThiokol TX780      Castor 4A  Solid          929,400   3.3  36.6
6925       2  1xAerojet AJ10-118K             N2O4/N2H4-UDMH   10,000   8.0  19.6
 (3-stage) 3  1xThiokol Star 48B   PAM-D      Solid           15,000   4.0   6.7

7920       1  1xRocketdyne RS-27A  EELT Thor  LOX/RP1        241,000   8.0  87.4  511,000  11,300  4,010  2,810
 (2-stage) 1  9xHercules Gr-Ep     GEM 40     Solid          985,500   3.3  42.6
7925       2  1xAerojet AJ10-118K             N2O4/N2H4-UDMH   10,000   8.0  19.6
 (3-stage) 3  1xThiokol Star 48B   PAM-D      Solid           15,000   4.0   6.7

8930       1  1xRocketdyne RS-27A  Delta III  LOX/RP1        244,100  13.1  65.7  663,200  18,280  8,400  6,000
 (2-stage) 1  9xAlliant            GEM 46     Solid        1,244,100   3.8  48.1
           2  1xP&W RL10B-2                   LOX/LH2         24,750  13.1  28.8


Compiled by Kevin S. Forsyth from tables in Aviation Week and Space Technology, 12-Mar-62, 11-Mar-63, 16-Mar-64, 15-Mar-65, 7-Mar-66, 6-Mar-67, 18-Mar-68, 9-Mar-70, 8-Mar-71, 15-Mar-76, and 20-Mar-89. AW&ST's tables are so full of numbers that they seem to have trouble keeping everything straight: sometimes engine listings in separate tables contradict each other within the same issue, or seemingly identical listings change from year to year. Therefore some editorial license was used to create this table, and even so it certainly contains some inaccuracies. Delta III info from Boeing's website. Last update, 21 January 1999.





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History of the Delta Launch Vehicle by Kevin S. Forsyth