Images credit & copyright: United Launch Alliance (ULA).
LAUNCH ALERT: Friday, March 15, 2019 at 18:56 EDT (22:56 UTC) the United Launch Alliance (ULA), will be launching a Delta IV rocket in its Medium + (5,4) configuration carrying the 10th Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS 10) spacecraft (formerly the Wideband Gapfiller Satellite) for the U.S. military.
The Delta IV Medium (Delta IV M): can fly in four (4) configurations while the Delta IV Heavy flies in only one configuration:
Delta IV M
Delta IV M+ (4,2)
Delta IV M+ (5,2)
Delta IV M+ (5,4).
Delta IV Medium + (5,4) Configuration Summary:
Medium = Medium lift capabilities within the Delta IV family.
5 = 5.1 meter (16.7 ft.) payload fairing.
4 = 4 Strap-on solid rocket motors (SRM’s) attached to the 1st stage.
The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Launch Vehicle:
Launch Sites: Space Launch Complex 37B (SLC-37B or Slick 37B) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6 or Slick 6) at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
Height: 66.2 m (217 ft.)
Core Diameter: 5 m (16 ft.)
Width at Base (including boosters): 6.1 m (20 ft.)
Stages: 2
Boosters: 0 to 4
Total Engines: 6; 1 RS-68A and 4 GEM 60 boosters on the first stage and 1 RL-10-B-2 in the second stage.
Total Liftoff Thrust (CBC & 4 Gem 60s)(sea level): 6,446 kN (100,000 lbf)
Gross Mass: 249,500 kg (550,100 lb.)
Payload to Low Earth Orbit (LEO)(28.7 deg): 13,730 kg (30,250 lb.)
Payload to Low Earth Orbit (LEO)(90 deg): 11,600 kg (25,580 lb.)
Payload to Low Earth Orbit (LEO)(51.6 deg)(ISS): 12,830 kg (28,270 lb.)
Payload to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO)(27 deg): 6,890 kg (15,190 lb.)
Payload to Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO)(0.0 deg): 2,710 kg (5,970 lb.)
Cost: $164 million USD
Main Composite Payload Fairing (PLF): The Delta IV payload fairing is a composite bisector (two-shell) protective enclosure that protects the spacecraft from the atmospheric turbulence of ascent. Once the vehicle achieves a safe altitude, the fairings are jettisoned and the spacecraft is then exposed to space. Delta IV’s PLF comes in two 5.1 m (16.7 ft.) diameter configurations; a long and a short. The long is 62.7 ft. in length and the short is 47 ft. in length.
Delta Cryogenic Second Stage (DCSS):
Height: 13.7 m (45 ft.)
Diameter: 5.1 m (17 ft.)
Engine(s): Single Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10-B-2
Engine Chambers: 1
Engine Type (cycle): Expander Cycle
Propellant Feed Method: Turbopump
Chamber Pressure:
Fuel Type: Liquid
Fuel: Fuel: Liquid hydrogen (LH2). LH2 provides a higher specific impulse than rocket propellant 1 (RP-1) or as it’s sometimes called highly refined kerosene, but it’s more expensive, not stable at room temperature (must be kept cold), more explosive, less dense and less powerful by volume.
Oxidizer: Liquid Oxygen (LOX). LOX is often coupled with rocket propellant-1 (RP-1), liquid hydrogen (LH2) and methane (CH4) as it creates a high specific impulse.
Thrust (vacuum): 110.1 kN (24,800 lbf.)
Single RL-10 Thrust to Weight Ratio: N/A
Specific Impulse (vacuum): 462 s
Burn Time: 1125 s
Restart Ability: Yes
Reusable?: No
Graphite-Epoxy Motor 60 (GEM-60) Strap-On Solid Rocket Motors (SRM’s): Northrop Grumman GEM-60 strap-on solid rocket motors are 43.3 ft. (13.2 m) in length and 60 inches (152 centimeters) in diameter, burn hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) for fuel, provide 879 kN thrust at sea level at a specific impulse of 245 s and burn for 91 seconds.
Height: 13.2 m (43 ft.)
Diameter: 1.5 m (5 ft.)
Engine(s): None
Engine Chambers: The cylindrical hole in the propellant acts as the chamber
Engine Type (cycle): None
Propellant Feed Method: None
Chamber Pressure: The cylindrical hole in the propellant acts as the chamber
Fuel Type: Solid
Fuel: Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB)
Thrust (vacuum): 879 kN (197,500 lbf.)
Specific Impulse (sea level): 245 s
Burn Time: 91 s
Restart Ability: No
Reusable?: No
Common Booster Core (CBC)(First Stage):
Height: 40.8 m. (134 ft.)
Diameter: 5.1 m (17 ft.)
Engine(s): 1 Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68A
Engine Chambers: 1
Engine Type (cycle): Gas generator
Propellant Feed Method: Turbopump
Chamber Pressure: 10.26 MPa or 102.6 bar or 1,488 psi
Fuel Type: Liquid
Fuel: Liquid hydrogen (LH2). LH2 provides a higher specific impulse than rocket propellant 1 (RP-1) or as it’s sometimes called highly refined kerosene, but it’s more expensive, not stable at room temperature (must be kept cold), more explosive, less dense and less powerful by volume.
Oxidizer: Liquid Oxygen (LOX). LOX is often coupled with rocket propellant-1 (RP-1), liquid hydrogen (LH2) and methane (CH4) as it creates a high specific impulse.
Single RS-68A Thrust (sea level): 3,312.76 kN (744,740 lbf.)
Total Liftoff Thrust (CBC & 4 Gem 60s)(sea level): 6,446 kN (100,000 lbf)
Single RS-68A Thrust to Weight Ratio: 47.4
Specific Impulse (sea level/vacuum): 360 s/412 s
Burn Time: 367 s
Restart Ability: No
Reusable?: No
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Stream Live:
ULA Webcast: https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions/delta-iv-wgs-10
ULA YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/UnitedLaunchAlliance
ULA Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ulalaunch
Mission Information:
45th Space Wing L-1 Weather Forecast (East Coast only): http://www.patrick.af.mil/About-Us/Weather
ULA Mission Overview: https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions/delta-iv-wgs-10
Mission Booklet: https://www.ulalaunch.com/docs/default-source/launch-booklets/div_wgs10_mob.pdf?sfvrsn=b7cf4d95_2
General 2019 Launch Schedule (Wiki): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_in_spaceflight
United Launch Alliance (ULA):
ULA homepage: http://www.ulalaunch.com/
Discover ULA: http://www.discoverula.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ulalaunch
Twitter for ULA CEO Tory Bruno: https://twitter.com/torybruno
Instagram: http://instagram.com/ulalaunch
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ulalaunch
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/UnitedLaunchAlliance
Rocket Builder: https://www.rocketbuilder.com/
Delta IV Rocket Family:
Delta IV Family Page: https://www.ulalaunch.com/rockets/delta-iv
Delta IV Users Guide: https://www.ulalaunch.com/docs/default-source/rockets/delta-iv-user’s-guide.pdf
Delta IV, 5 Meter Cutaway: https://www.ulalaunch.com/docs/default-source/rockets/delta-iv-5-meter-cutaway.pdf
Delta IV Heavy Cutaway: https://www.ulalaunch.com/docs/default-source/rockets/delta-iv-heavy-cutaway.pdf
ULA Rocket Rundown: https://www.ulalaunch.com/docs/default-source/rockets/atlas-v-and-delta-iv-technical-summary.pdf
Delta IV Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_IV
All Delta launches: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Thor_and_Delta_launches
Aerojet-Rocketdyne:
Main Site: http://www.rocket.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AerojetRdyne
Eileen Drake (CEO & President): https://twitter.com/DrakeEileen
Facebook: http://facebook.com/AerojetRdyne
Instagram: http://instagram.com/aerojet_rocketdyne
National Reconnaissance Office (NRO):
Main Site: http://www.nro.gov/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalReconnaissanceOffice/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/natreconofc
Patrick AFB: 45th Space Wing, Cape Canaveral, FL:
Main Site: http://www.patrick.af.mil/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/45thSpaceWing
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/45thSpaceWing
Vandenberg AFB, 30th Space Wing, CA:
Vandenberg AFB : http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/30thSpaceWing
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/30thSpaceWing
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/30SWVandenberg
Air Force Space Command:
Main Site: http://www.afspc.af.mil/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AFSpace
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AirForceSpaceCommand
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC339eVx3dEGpH6tFRZt-oDg
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/airforcespacecommand/
Los Angeles Air Force Base, Space and Missile Systems Center:
Main Site: http://www.losangeles.af.mil/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SpaceandMissileSystemsCenter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AF_SMC
Instagram: https://instagram.com/af_smc/
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/129133022@N07/
Peterson AFB (21st Space Wing):
Main Site: http://www.peterson.af.mil/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/21stSpaceWing
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeteAFB
Instagram: http://instagram.com/officialusairforce