The Delta IV Heavy (Delta 9250H) was an expendable heavy-lift launch vehicle. When it was in service from 2004 to 2024, it was the largest type in the Delta IV family and was the world's second highest-capacity rocket in operation, behind SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket and closely followed by CNSA's Long March 5 rocket. [1] [2] It was manufactured by United Launch Alliance and was first launched in December 2004 and was retired after its last flight on 9th April 2024. [3]
| Flight | Date | Payload [4] | Mass | Launch site | Outcome [4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 December 2004 | DemoSat, Sparkie / 3CS-1 and Ralphie / 3CS-2 | ~13,228 pounds (6000 kilograms) | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Partial failure [lower-alpha 1] |
| 2 | 11 November 2007 | DSP-23 Defense Support Program | 11,574 pounds (5,250 kilograms) | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Success |
| 3 | 18 January 2009 | Orion 6 / Mentor 4 (USA-202 / NROL-26) | Classified | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Success |
| 4 | 21 November 2010 | Orion 7 / Mentor 5 (USA-223 / NROL-32) | Classified | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Success |
| 5 | 20 January 2011 | KH-11 Kennen 15 (USA-224 / NROL-49) | <37,479 pounds (17,000 kilograms) | Vandenberg, SLC-6 | Success |
| 6 | 29 June 2012 | Orion 8 / Mentor 6 (USA-237 / NROL-15) | Classified | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Success |
| 7 | 26 August 2013 | KH-11 Kennen 16 (USA-245 / NROL-65) | <37,479 pounds (17,000 kilograms) | Vandenberg, SLC-6 | Success |
| 8 | 5 December 2014 | Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) | 46,297 pounds (21,000 kilograms) [5] [lower-alpha 2] | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Success |
| 9 | 11 June 2016 | Orion 9 / Mentor 7 (USA-268 / NROL-37) | Classified | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Success |
| 10 | 12 August 2018 | Parker Solar Probe [lower-alpha 3] | 1,510 pounds (685 kilograms) | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Success |
| 11 | 19 January 2019 | NROL-71 | Classified | Vandenberg, SLC-6 | Success |
| 12 | 11 December 2020 | Orion 10 / Mentor 8 (USA-268/ NROL-44) [6] [7] | Classified | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Success |
| 13 | 26 April 2021 | KH-11 Kennen 17 (NROL-82) | Classified | Vandenberg, SLC-6 | Success |
| 14 | 24 September 2022 | KH-11 Kennen 18 (NROL-91) | Classified | Vandenberg, SLC-6 | Success |
| 15 | 22 June 2023 | Orion 11 / Mentor 9 (NROL-68) [8] | Classified | Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B | Success |
| 16 | 9 April 2024 | Orion 12 / Mentor 10 (NROL-70) | Classified | CCSFS, SLC-37B | Success |
The Delta rocket family is a versatile range of American rocket-powered expendable launch systems that provided space launch capability in the United States from 1960 to 2024. Japan also launched license-built derivatives from 1975 to 1992. More than 300 Delta rockets were launched with a 95% success rate. The series was phased out in favor of the Vulcan Centaur, with the Delta IV Heavy rocket's last launch occurring on April 9, 2024.
Delta IV was a group of five expendable launch systems in the Delta rocket family introduced in the early 2000s. Originally designed by Boeing's Defense, Space and Security division for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, the Delta IV became a United Launch Alliance (ULA) product in 2006. The Delta IV was primarily a launch vehicle for United States Air Force (USAF) military payloads, but was also used to launch a number of United States government non-military payloads and a single commercial satellite.
National Security Space Launch (NSSL) is a program of the United States Space Force (USSF) intended to assure access to space for United States Department of Defense and other United States government payloads. The program is managed by the Assured Access to Space Directorate (SSC/AA) of the Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC), in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office.
Atlas V is an expendable launch system and the fifth major version in the Atlas launch vehicle family. It was originally designed by Lockheed Martin, now being operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing. It is used for DoD, NASA, and Commercial payloads. It is America's longest-serving active rocket. After 87 launches, in August 2021 ULA announced that Atlas V would be retired, and all 29 remaining launches had been sold. As of January 2024, 17 launches remain. Other future ULA launches will use the new Vulcan Centaur rocket.
The Graphite-Epoxy Motor (GEM) is a family of solid rocket boosters developed in the late 1980s and used since 1990. GEM motors are manufactured with carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer casings and a fuel consisting of HTPB-bound ammonium perchlorate composite propellant. GEM is produced by Northrop Grumman Space Systems. GEM boosters are used on the Atlas V and were previously used on the Delta II, Delta III, and Delta IV launch vehicles. A new variant, the GEM 63XL, flew as part of the Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle on 8 January 2024.
Falcon 9 is a partially reusable medium-lift launch vehicle that can carry cargo and crew into Earth orbit, designed, manufactured and launched by American aerospace company SpaceX. It can also be used as an expendable heavy-lift launch vehicle. The first Falcon 9 launch was on 4 June 2010. The first Falcon 9 commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) launched on 8 October 2012. In 2020 it became the first commercial rocket to launch humans to orbit and remains the only such vehicle. It is the only U.S. rocket certified for transporting humans to the ISS. In 2022, it became the U.S. rocket with the most launches in history and with the best safety record, having suffered just one flight failure.
Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California is a launch pad and support area. The site was originally developed starting in 1966, but no launches occurred until 1995, as it was repurposed sequentially for three programs that were subsequently cancelled. Initially to be used for Titan IIIM rockets and the Manned Orbiting Laboratory, these were cancelled before construction of SLC-6 was complete. The complex was later rebuilt to serve as the west coast launch site for the Space Shuttle, but went unused due to budget, safety and political considerations. The pad was subsequently used for four Athena rocket launches before being modified to support the Delta IV launch vehicle family, which used the pad for ten launches from 2006 until 2022. The last Delta IV launched in September 2022, and SpaceX leased SLC-6 in 2023 to convert it to launch Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy starting in 2025.
United Launch Alliance, LLC, commonly referred to as ULA, is an American aerospace manufacturer, defense contractor and launch service provider that manufactures and operates rockets that launch spacecraft into Earth orbit and on trajectories to other bodies in the Solar System. ULA also designed and builds the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage for the Space Launch System (SLS).
The Common Booster Core (CBC) was an American rocket stage, which was used on the Delta IV rocket as part of a modular rocket system. Delta IV rockets flying in the Medium and Medium+ configurations each used a single Common Booster Core as their first stage, while the Heavy configuration used three; one as the first stage and two as boosters. The Common Booster Core was 40.8 metres (134 ft) long, had a diameter of 5.1 metres (17 ft) and was powered by a single RS-68 engine burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
The Delta IV Heavy was an expendable heavy-lift launch vehicle, the largest type of the Delta IV family. It was the world's third highest-capacity launch vehicle in operation at the time of its retirement in 2024, behind NASA's Space Launch System and SpaceX's Falcon Heavy and closely followed by CASC's Long March 5. It was manufactured by United Launch Alliance (ULA) and was first launched in 2004. ULA retired the Delta IV Heavy in 2024. Future ULA launches will use the new Vulcan Centaur rocket. Delta IV's final flight was initially scheduled for March 29, 2024 for the National Reconnaissance Office; however, it had been postponed to April 9, 2024 and launched that day.
USA 202, previously NRO Launch 26 or NROL-26, is a classified spacecraft which is operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office. It is an Advanced Orion ELINT satellite. According to Aviation Week, it "fundamentally involves America's biggest, most secret and expensive military spacecraft on board the world's largest rocket." The combined cost of the spacecraft and launch vehicle has been estimated to be over US$2 billion.
A heavy-lift launch vehicle is an orbital launch vehicle capable of generating a large amount of lift to reach its intended orbit. Heavy-lift launch vehicles generally are capable of lifting payloads between 20,000 to 50,000 kg or between 20,000 to 100,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit (LEO). As of 2024, operational heavy-lift launch vehicles include the Long March 5, the Proton-M and Falcon Heavy.
Falcon Heavy is a partially reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle that can carry cargo into Earth orbit, and beyond. It is designed, manufactured and launched by American aerospace company SpaceX.
USA-184, also known as NRO Launch 22 or NROL-22, is an American signals intelligence satellite, operated by the National Reconnaissance Office. Launched in 2006, it has been identified as the first in a new series of satellites which are replacing the earlier Trumpet spacecraft.
USA-245 or NRO Launch 65 (NROL-65) is an American reconnaissance satellite which is operated by the National Reconnaissance Office. Launched in August 2013, it is the last Block 4 KH-11 reconnaissance satellite, and the last official spacecraft to be launched in the Keyhole program.
Vulcan Centaur is a two-stage-to-orbit, expendable, heavy-lift launch vehicle by United Launch Alliance (ULA). It is principally designed to meet launch demands for the U.S. government's National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program for use by the United States Space Force and U.S. intelligence agencies for national security satellite launches. It will replace both of ULA's existing heavy-lift launch systems due to their retirement. Vulcan Centaur will also be used for commercial launches, including an order for 38 launches from Kuiper Systems.
The ULA Delta 4-Heavy is currently the world's largest rocket, providing the nation with reliable, proven, heavy lift capability for our country's national security payloads from both the east and west coasts.
The Falcon Heavy is capable of lifting 140,000 pounds to low-Earth orbit, more than any other rocket today.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain . This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .| Parent companies |  | ||||
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