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DELTA B Fact Sheet
Written and Edited by Cliff Lethbridge
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Classification: Space Launch Vehicle Length: 92 feet, 11 inches Diameter: 8 feet |
In most respects, the Delta B was very similar to the Delta A which preceded it, but featured an improved second stage.
The second stage propellant tanks were lengthened 35.8 inches to increase the amount of fuel they could carry. An upgraded Aerojet-General second stage engine, coupled with this additional fuel capacity, facilitated the launch of heavier payloads.
The Delta B also incorporated an improved guidance and electronics system.
The vehicle was capable of carrying an 825-pound payload to low-Earth orbit, or a 150-pound payload to geostationary transfer orbit.
It was a Delta B rocket that supported the deployment of the world's first geosynchronous satellite.
SYNCOM-1, launched aboard a Delta B on February 14, 1963, achieved a near-synchronous orbit. This was followed by the launch of SYNCOM-2 aboard a Delta B on July 26, 1963. SYNCOM-2 was the first satellite to achieve geosynchronous orbit.
Copyright © 1998 by Spaceline, Inc.
