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General Discussion => Q&A Section => Topic started by: Pipcard on 11/11/2012 09:22 pm

Title: Delta II Q&A
Post by: Pipcard on 11/11/2012 09:22 pm
Does anyone know why the core stage is a blue color?
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: Jim on 11/11/2012 09:40 pm
Does anyone know why the core stage is a blue color?

Because MCD liked that color
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: Pipcard on 11/11/2012 10:52 pm
Does anyone know why the core stage is a blue color?

Because MCD liked that color
So if they wanted to, they could paint it green?
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: Jim on 11/12/2012 01:19 am
Does anyone know why the core stage is a blue color?

Because MCD liked that color
So if they wanted to, they could paint it green?

some of it was, see the second stage
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: jkumpire on 11/12/2012 01:51 am
Jim,

At this point is it fair to say the Delta II program is done, and the few left will never be used? If so, is there any need for LC 19 anymore, or will it just become a rusted artifact on ICBM Row? 
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: Jim on 11/12/2012 02:07 am
Jim,

At this point is it fair to say the Delta II program is done, and the few left will never be used? If so, is there any need for LC 19 anymore, or will it just become a rusted artifact on ICBM Row? 

LC-17 and they are dismantling it now.
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: edkyle99 on 11/12/2012 02:34 am
Does anyone know why the core stage is a blue color?

Because MCD liked that color
So if they wanted to, they could paint it green?

some of it was, see the second stage
Delta used to be white.  Delta 100, the first 2000-series Delta with an RS-27 engine, was the first to carry the blue paint.  The shade of color in photos varied from yellowish green to blue depending on the lighting, film, and photo processing methods.  The actual color is "Delta Blue", Federal Standard 595 color 25193, according to Kevin Forsyth.
http://www.colorserver.net/showcolor.asp?fs=25193

The color adaptation came not long after McDonnell Douglas closed out its long-running Thor-Agena program for the U.S. Air Force.  Thors were always white.  Extended Tank Thor (Delta) production had moved from the old Santa Monica Douglas plant to the newer McDonnell Douglas facility at Huntington Beach, California.   It was a time of change.  NASA Goddard was still in charge of the program.  Someone at NASA or McDonnell Douglas obviously wanted a change, possibly to differentiate Air Force from NASA rockets.  I have no idea who the someone was, but my guess is either that they liked blue, or that they owned stock in a blue paint manufacturer! :) 

One benefit of the blue paint, by the way, was that it made it easier to see the ice buildup as LOX was loaded - something tougher to see on a white-painted booster.  There might also actually be a photographic technical reason for blue.  In my work, I often use blue as a backdrop for macro photography.

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: ZachS09 on 11/16/2012 01:40 pm
Are any of you aware that the Delta II is scheduled to make 3 more flights: OCO-2, SMAP, and JPSS-1, from Vandenberg?
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: Jim on 11/16/2012 01:45 pm
Are any of you aware that the Delta II is scheduled to make 3 more flights, the OCO-2 spacecraft, the SMAP spacecraft, and the JPSS-1 satellite, from Vandenberg.

All are aware.  There is a thread on this.

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=29455.0
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: ZachS09 on 03/07/2013 07:09 pm
Now that the ULA owns the 4th stock Delta II rocket, what satellite by NASA do you think the 5th one can loft from Vandenberg if bought?
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: Jim on 03/07/2013 07:44 pm
Now that the ULA owns the 4th stock Delta II rocket, what satellite by NASA do you think the 5th one can loft from Vandenberg if bought?

NASA bought 4 of the 5 remaining Delta II's.  It doesn't have any remaining missions in that class without a launch service
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: ZachS09 on 05/28/2013 06:03 pm
Instead of a NASA observatory or satellite, is there a possibility that the NRO, US Navy, or US Air Force can buy the last Delta II to launch either an NROL satellite, a MUOS satellite, a GPS IIF or GPS IIIA satellite, a SBIRS-GEO satellite, an AEHF satellite, an STP payload, or something like that?
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: Jim on 05/28/2013 06:15 pm
Instead of a NASA observatory or satellite, is there a possibility that the NRO, US Navy, or US Air Force can buy the last Delta II to launch either an NROL satellite, a MUOS satellite, a GPS IIF or GPS IIIA satellite, a SBIRS-GEO satellite, an AEHF satellite, an STP payload, or something like that?

Anybody can buy it, but it can only be launched from VAFB, since LC-17 is being dismantled.  Also, MUOS, GPS IIF,  GPS IIIA,  SBIRS-GEO or AEHF are 2 to 5 larger than what Delta II can carry.  STP is basically all that is viable.
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: ZachS09 on 05/29/2013 01:50 pm
In that case, since one of the first Falcon Heavy rockets is carrying the STP-2 payload, maybe for the Delta II's legitimate final flight, the USAF can purchase the last available Delta II to launch STP-3.
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: Jim on 05/29/2013 02:02 pm
In that case, since one of the first Falcon Heavy rockets is carrying the STP-2 payload, maybe for the Delta II's legitimate final flight, the USAF can purchase the last available Delta II to launch STP-3.

STP-3 is flying on a Minotaur I and it only weighs 180kg
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: Prober on 05/29/2013 10:29 pm
how thick is the Delta II tanking?  was it that much of a change to Delta III?
 
Understand Delta IV carries over some of Delta III tankage, so could it be said that Delta IV goes back to Delta II?
 
 
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: Jim on 05/29/2013 10:44 pm
Delta III used a Delta II LOX tank and a larger Japanese fuel tank.
Delta IV has no structural hardware in common with Delta II.
The upperstage of the Delta III is similar to the Delta IV 4m upperstage.  There is nothing in common between Delta III and Delta IV boosters.
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: Falcon H on 06/12/2013 02:40 pm
My apologies if this is kind of a naïve question, but do delta and atlas count as commercial launch vehicles or are they government, they are made by the ULA which composes of boeing and Lockheed. Thank you for the help. :)
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: Jim on 06/12/2013 02:46 pm
My apologies if this is kind of a naïve question, but do delta and atlas count as commercial launch vehicles or are they government, they are made by the ULA which composes of boeing and Lockheed. Thank you for the help. :)

They are commercial. The gov't buys launch services and not hardware.
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: Falcon H on 06/12/2013 02:59 pm
Ok, so they just launch delta and atlas, thank you for clearing that up.
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: ZachS09 on 08/13/2014 05:19 pm
When NOAA-19 was launched, did NASA intend to name it "NOAA-N Prime" before launch? Or was "NOAA-O" acceptable if suggested?
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: Jim on 08/13/2014 05:23 pm
When NOAA-19 was launched, did NASA intend to name it "NOAA-N Prime" before launch? Or was "NOAA-O" acceptable if suggested?
It was NOAA-N Prime before and during launch and became NOAA-19 once on orbit operating successfully.
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: ZachS09 on 08/20/2014 07:16 pm
Why "NOAA-N Prime"? ??? I thought O came after N like the GOES satellites did.
Title: Re: Delta II Q&A
Post by: edkyle99 on 08/20/2014 07:45 pm
Why "NOAA-N Prime"? ??? I thought O came after N like the GOES satellites did.
The answer is in this article. 
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d338/090201preview.html

Apparently there had been plans for a NOAA-O (and P and Q), but the spacecraft series was cancelled and NASA decided to build one more of the old series, or something like that.

Of course NOAA N-prime was the famous "dropped" satellite.

 - Ed Kyle