The expanded delta launch vehicle family with a status on the new delta IV

Abstract

The Expendable Launch Systems division of The Boeing Company is well into the development of the new family of Delta IV launch vehicles to support commercial and government missions. The Delta IV adds to the existing Delta family of vehicles, the Delta II in four configurations and the Delta III with twice the performance of the Delta II. The addition of the Delta IV adds five vehicles to the Delta family: the Delta IV medium, three Delta IV Medium-Plus vehicles with solid rocket augmentation, and the Delta IV Heavy vehicles. This family now addresses the full market range of payload requirements from 2,000 to 29,000 pounds to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). Full-scale commercial development was initiated in 1997, with the first Delta flight planned for the second quarter of 2001. This paper presents the status of the development program of the launch vehicles, the new green field, focused factory for common booster core production at Decatur, Alabama, the new launch facility construction at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Vandenberg Air Force Base, and the new LO2/LH2 RS-68 common booster core engine. The status of the Delta III return to flight is also presented.