![]() The first Delta C launches with Explorer 18 | |
Function | Expendable launch system |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Douglas Aircraft Company |
Country of origin | United States |
Launch history | |
Status | Retired |
Launch sites | Cape Canaveral LC-17 |
Total launches | 13 |
Success(es) | 12 |
Failure(s) | 1 |
First flight | 27 November 1963 |
Last flight | 22 January 1969 |
The Delta C, or Thor-Delta C was an American expendable launch system used for thirteen orbital launches between 1963 and 1969. It was a member of the Delta family of rockets.
The first stage was a Thor missile in the DSV-2A configuration, and the second stage was the Delta D, which was derived from the earlier Delta. The baseline Delta C used an Altair-2 third stage, whilst the Delta C1 had an FW-4D third stage, which provided a higher payload capacity than the Altair. It is unclear whether two or three launches were made using the C1 configuration.
The Delta C was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17. Most launches carried NASA research satellites into low Earth orbit.[1][2]
References
[edit]- ^ Wade, Mark. "Delta". Archived from the original on 2008-07-24.
- ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Thor Family". Gunter's Space Page. Archived from the original on 2007-08-06. Retrieved 2021-12-21.