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Delta 2 still flying
by
CNYMike
on 01 Feb, 2015 00:15
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Could someone clear up my confusion? I thought Boeing was going to retire the Delta 2, yet one just launched this morning: Did they change their minds? Or are a few more due to launch just from Vandenberg? Or what? Would appreciate it.
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#1
by
kch
on 01 Feb, 2015 00:40
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Flying the last few out of Vandenberg over the next couple of years:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/01/ula-delta-ii-smap-mission/The mission was the only one scheduled for the Delta II this year, as the rocket’s operations are wound down. After the SMAP launch two more missions remain on the Delta II’s manifest, with the March 2017 deployment of the first Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) vehicle its next scheduled flight.
The other scheduled Delta II launch will occur later in 2017 with NASA’s ICESat-II spacecraft. Parts exist to construct one further rocket should it be required, although it remains unclear whether this will be used.
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#2
by
arachnitect
on 01 Feb, 2015 00:49
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Production is over and the east coast pads are gone.
There are two more missions scheduled next year soon, and one booster still unspoken for, but the end is near.
Probably the greatest American launch vehicle. It will be sad to see it go.
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#3
by
AS-503
on 01 Feb, 2015 01:08
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Could someone clear up my confusion? I thought Boeing was going to retire the Delta 2, yet one just launched this morning: Did they change their minds? Or are a few more due to launch just from Vandenberg? Or what? Would appreciate it.
Not sure if I can clear any confusion, but are they strill flying or still frying?
They are certainly still frying the launch pad!
P.S. Please fix the typo in the thread title.
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#4
by
CNYMike
on 01 Feb, 2015 03:05
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Could someone clear up my confusion? I thought Boeing was going to retire the Delta 2, yet one just launched this morning: Did they change their minds? Or are a few more due to launch just from Vandenberg? Or what? Would appreciate it.
Not sure if I can clear any confusion, but are they strill flying or still frying?
They are certainly still frying the launch pad!
P.S. Please fix the typo in the thread title.
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#5
by
CNYMike
on 01 Feb, 2015 03:06
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P.S. Please fix the typo in the thread title.
Fixed what I could.
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#6
by
CNYMike
on 01 Feb, 2015 03:18
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And yes, thanks for clearing things up.
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#7
by
AS-503
on 01 Feb, 2015 03:39
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Yes, still flying! Although an old horse, anything with orbital capability is "nothing short of magic" in the words of Arthur C. Clarke.
Back in 2010 when the Falcon 9 flew for the very first time. Jim posted on the Live Launch thread "Delta II finally got a replacement.". For some reason he deleted that post.
If you are reading this Jim, do you care to give of any insight to that comment?
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#8
by
arachnitect
on 01 Feb, 2015 04:37
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Back in 2010 when the Falcon 9 flew for the very first time. Jim posted on the Live Launch thread "Delta II finally got a replacement.". For some reason he deleted that post.
If you are reading this Jim, do you care to give of any insight to that comment?
Don't recall the exact dates, but for a short while Delta II was gone, then the remaining rockets were made available via NLS II.
There was a lot of talk about "Delta II replacement" going on for awhile. What people usually meant by this was not exactly 1:1 replacement (Delta II got retired for a reason), but rather how NASA would get certain science payloads to space that were too big for converted missiles but didn't need an Atlas V's intermediate class performance.
So far most of those missions have ended up assigned to the last Deltas or Atlas V, but Spacex is finally making inroads and looks to be the logical choice for many of those types of missions going forward, see for example Jason 3, DSCOVR, TESS, etc. It's taken Spacex longer than expected though (remember CASSIOPE?). Ironically, I think ULA selling the last Delta IIs was a gift to Spacex as it gave NASA options and kept VAFB real estate tied up, thus discouraging OSC and LockMart from getting in on the SSO market.
My dreams of a west coast Antares or the return of Athena (Athena III anyone?) are fading away. Maybe Minotaur VI will happen?
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#9
by
kevin-rf
on 01 Feb, 2015 06:07
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Every time a Delta II goes up, I can't help but think a part of Vanguard, Apollo, and Shuttle for now still lives...
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#10
by
Antares
on 02 Feb, 2015 12:46
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Falcon crushes all of the vehicles mentioned here in $/lb. Now that its getting into statistically relevant numbers of launches, there's no need to go elsewhere unless there's a throughput problem or someone else can develop something near the cost.
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#11
by
edkyle99
on 02 Feb, 2015 15:16
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Every time a Delta II goes up, I can't help but think a part of Vanguard, Apollo, and Shuttle for now still lives...
And Navaho. RS-27A is the last in a long line of "150K" Rocketdyne RP/LOX based engines that originated with Navaho G38 and that were used by Atlas, Jupiter, Saturn, and Thor (and also found licensed adaptation by Blue Streak/Europa, by Japan's N and H-1 rockets, and maybe even partly by Aerojet for the Titan 1 engines). They account for the majority of all U.S. orbital launches and for a sizable percentage of worldwide launches. And only two more are expected to fly.
- Ed Kyle
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#12
by
Proponent
on 02 Feb, 2015 17:18
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What is Delta 2's Shuttle connection?
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#13
by
arachnitect
on 02 Feb, 2015 17:20
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What is Delta 2's Shuttle connection?
Second stage engine is a sibling of the shuttle OMS thrusters
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#14
by
SgtPoivre
on 02 Feb, 2015 17:29
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What is Delta 2's Shuttle connection?
Second stage engine is a sibling of the shuttle OMS thrusters
Then it is also directly connected to Orion!
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#15
by
okan170
on 02 Feb, 2015 17:35
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What is Delta 2's Shuttle connection?
Second stage engine is a sibling of the shuttle OMS thrusters
Then it is also directly connected to Orion!
And the Apollo SPS!
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#16
by
woods170
on 02 Feb, 2015 18:12
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What is Delta 2's Shuttle connection?
Second stage engine is a sibling of the shuttle OMS thrusters
Then it is also directly connected to Orion!
And the Apollo SPS!
Yeah, all variants of the AJ-10. But be carefull calling them relatives. I did exactly that a few years ago and got pasted by a very prominent member here about the (apparent) fact that those variants of AJ-10 are related (mostly) in name only.
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#17
by
Prober
on 02 Feb, 2015 18:58
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Every time a Delta II goes up, I can't help but think a part of Vanguard, Apollo, and Shuttle for now still lives...
And Navaho. RS-27A is the last in a long line of "150K" Rocketdyne RP/LOX based engines that originated with Navaho G38 and that were used by Atlas, Jupiter, Saturn, and Thor (and also found licensed adaptation by Blue Streak/Europa, by Japan's N and H-1 rockets, and maybe even partly by Aerojet for the Titan 1 engines). They account for the majority of all U.S. orbital launches and for a sizable percentage of worldwide launches. And only two more are expected to fly.
- Ed Kyle
Ed I know there were some changes with the RS-27A; but I feel a a lot closer to the Von Braun team and H1 with the Delta II.
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#18
by
Jim
on 02 Feb, 2015 19:02
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Ed I know there were some changes with the RS-27A; but I feel a a lot closer to the Von Braun team and H1 with the Delta II.
It actually has more in common with the USAF teams vs Huntsville.
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#19
by
Prober
on 03 Feb, 2015 02:05
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Ed I know there were some changes with the RS-27A; but I feel a a lot closer to the Von Braun team and H1 with the Delta II.
It actually has more in common with the USAF teams vs Huntsville.
Jim was that pre-nasa or in the middle of the formation?
