TITAN 34D FACT SHEET

By Cliff Lethbridge

Titan 34D Launch, Photo Courtesy U.S. Air Force

Classification: Space Launch Vehicle

Length: 160 feet, 9 inches

Diameter: 10 feet

Date of First Cape Canaveral Launch: October 30, 1982

Date of Final Cape Canaveral Launch: September 4, 1989

Number of Cape Canaveral Launches: 8

Still quite similar to the Titan III-C on which it was based, the Titan 34D was introduced in 1982 and could incorporate either the Transtage third stage or a new upper stage called an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS). The IUS was a two-stage booster which effectively provided a third and fourth stage that allowed the Titan 34D to carry large military payloads into orbit. Performance of the Titan 34D was also improved by adding a one-half segment to the previous generation of Titan III solid rocket boosters, making a total of five and one-half segments per booster. The two resulting United Technologies solid rocket boosters burned Powered Aluminum/Ammonium Perchlorate solid fuel and could produce a combined thrust of 2,498,000 pounds. The first stage Aerojet engine could produce a thrust of 532,000 pounds. An Aerojet second stage engine could produce a 101,000-pound thrust. Both the first and second stage engines burned Aerozine 50/Nitrogen Tetroxide liquid fuel. The IUS first stage could produce a thrust of 62,000 pounds, while its second stage was capable of producing a 26,000-pound thrust. Both IUS stages were solid-fueled. The Titan 34D was able to carry a 27,500-pound payload to low-Earth orbit or a 4,200-pound payload to geostationary transfer orbit.