List of Delta IV launches

Delta IV was a group of five expendable launch systems in the Delta rocket family introduced in the early 2000s. Originally designed by Boeing's Defense, Space and Security division for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, the Delta IV became a United Launch Alliance (ULA) product in 2006. The Delta IV was primarily a launch vehicle for United States Air Force (USAF) military payloads, but was also used to launch a number of United States government non-military payloads and a single commercial satellite.[1]

The Delta IV originally had two main versions which allowed the family to cover a range of payload sizes and masses: the Medium (which had four configurations) and Heavy.[2] Since September 2019, only the Heavy remained active, with payloads that would previously fly on Medium moving to either the existing Atlas V or the forthcoming Vulcan. Retirement of the Delta IV occurred in 2024.[3]

Delta IV vehicles were built in the ULA facility in Decatur, Alabama. Final assembly was completed at the launch site by ULA: at the horizontal integration facility for launches from SLC-37B pad at Cape Canaveral and in a similar facility for launches from SLC-6 pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base.[1]

Launch statistics

Launch outcome

  •   Partial Failure
  •   Success

Launch site

Vehicle

Main articles: List of Delta IV Medium launches and List of Delta IV Heavy launches

Launch History

Flight Date / time (UTC) Launch site Payload[4] Rocket Launch
outcome[4]
1 20 November 2002 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B Eutelsat W5 Delta IV Medium Success[5]
2 11 March 2003 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-167 (DSCS-3 A3) Delta IV Medium Success[6]
3 29 August 2003 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-170 (DSCS-3 B6) Delta IV Medium Success[7]
4 21 December 2004 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B DemoSat, Sparkie / 3CS-1 and Ralphie / 3CS-2 Delta IV Heavy Partial failure[a]
5 24 May 2006 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B GOES-N (GOES-13) Delta IV Medium Success[8]
6 28 June 2006 Vandenberg, SLC-6 USA-184 (NROL-22) Delta IV Medium Success[9]
7 4 November 2006 Vandenberg, SLC-6 DMSP F17 Delta IV Medium Success[10]
8 11 November 2007 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B DSP-23 Defense Support Program Delta IV Heavy Success
9 18 January 2009 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B Orion 6 / Mentor 4 (USA-202 / NROL-26) Delta IV Heavy Success
10 27 June 2009 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B GOES-O (GOES-14) Delta IV Medium Success[11]
11 6 December 2009 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-211 (WGS-3) Delta IV Medium Success[12]
12 4 March 2010 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B GOES-P (GOES-15) Delta IV Medium Success[13]
13 28 May 2010 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-213 (GPS IIF SV-1) Delta IV Medium Success[14]
14 21 November 2010 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B Orion 7 / Mentor 5 (USA-223 / NROL-32) Delta IV Heavy Success
15 20 January 2011 Vandenberg, SLC-6 KH-11 Kennen 15 (USA-224 / NROL-49) Delta IV Heavy Success
16 11 March 2011 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-227 (NROL-27) Delta IV Medium Success
17 16 July 2011 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-232 (GPS IIF-2) Delta IV Medium Success[15]
18 20 January 2012 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-233 (WGS-4) Delta IV Medium Success[16]
19 3 April 2012 Vandenberg, SLC-6 USA-234 (NROL-25) Delta IV Medium Success[17]
20 29 June 2012 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B Orion 8 / Mentor 6 (USA-237 / NROL-15) Delta IV Heavy Success
21 4 October 2012 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-239 (GPS IIF-3) Delta IV Medium Success[18]
22 25 May 2013 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-243 (WGS-5) Delta IV Medium Success[19]
23 8 August 2013 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-244 (WGS-6) Delta IV Medium Success[20]
24 26 August 2013 Vandenberg, SLC-6 KH-11 Kennen 16 (USA-245 / NROL-65) Delta IV Heavy Success
25 21 February 2014 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-248 (GPS IIF-5) Delta IV Medium Success[21]
26 17 May 2014 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-251 (GPS IIF-6) Delta IV Medium Success[22]
27 28 July 2014 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA 253-255 (AFSPC-4 (GSSAP #1/#2/ANGELS)) Delta IV Medium Success[23]
28 5 December 2014 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) Delta IV Heavy Success
29 25 March 2015 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-260 (GPS IIF-9) Delta IV Medium Success[24]
30 24 July 2015 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-263 (WGS-7) Delta IV Medium Success[25]
31 10 February 2016 Vandenberg, SLC-6 USA-267 (NROL-45) Delta IV Medium Success[26]
32 11 June 2016 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B Orion 9 / Mentor 7 (USA-268 / NROL-37) Delta IV Heavy Success
33 19 August 2016 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-270/271 (AFSPC-6 (GSSAP #3/#4)) Delta IV Medium Success[27]
34 7 December 2016 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-272 (WGS-8) Delta IV Medium Success[28]
35 19 March 2017 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-275 (WGS-9) Delta IV Medium Success[29]
36 12 January 2018 Vandenberg, SLC-6 USA-281 (NROL-47) Delta IV Medium Success[30]
37 12 August 2018 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B Parker Solar Probe[b] Delta IV Heavy Success
38 19 January 2019 Vandenberg, SLC-6 KH-11 Kennen 17 (NROL-71) Delta IV Heavy Success
39 16 March 2019 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-291 (WGS-10) Delta IV Medium Success[31]
40 22 August 2019 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B USA-293 (GPS III-2) Delta IV Medium Success[32]
41 11 December 2020 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B Orion 10 / Mentor 8 (USA-268 / NROL-44)[33][34] Delta IV Heavy Success
42 26 April 2021 Vandenberg, SLC-6 KH-11 Kennen 18 (NROL-82) Delta IV Heavy Success
43 24 September 2022 Vandenberg, SLC-6 KH-11 Kennen 18 (NROL-91) Delta IV Heavy Success
44 22 June 2023 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B Orion 11 / Mentor 9 (NROL-68) Delta IV Heavy Success
45 9 April 2024 Cape Canaveral, SLC-37B Orion 12 / Mentor 10 (NROL-70) Delta IV Heavy Success

Notes

  1. ^ CBCs underperformed, lower orbit than planned
  2. ^ Star 48BV upper stage

References

  1. ^ a b "Delta IV Launch Vehicle". mobile.arc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  2. ^ "Delta IV". www.ulalaunch.com. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  3. ^ "ULA to launch Delta 4 Heavy for its 12th mission, four more to go before rocket is retired". SpaceNews. 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  4. ^ a b Krebs, Gunter. "Delta-4". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  5. ^ "Boeing's Delta 4 rocket debuts successfully". Spaceflight Now. November 20, 2002.
  6. ^ "Delta 4 rocket successfully begins military service". Spaceflight Now. March 10, 2003.
  7. ^ "Delta 4 rocket delivers last Air Force DSCS satellite". Spaceflight Now. August 29, 2003.
  8. ^ "Weather observatory for Americas ascends to space". Spaceflight Now. May 24, 2006.
  9. ^ "New era of rocket launches begins at California base". Spaceflight Now. June 27, 2006.
  10. ^ "Military weather satellite rockets into polar orbit". Spaceflight Now. November 4, 2006.
  11. ^ "NASA and NOAA's GOES-O Satellite Successfully Launched". NASA KSC. 2009-06-27. Archived from the original on 2009-06-29. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  12. ^ Ray, Justin (2009-12-05). "New communications craft launched for U.S. military". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  13. ^ "United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches NASA/NOAA Weather Satellite Mission". United Launch Alliance. 4 March 2010. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  14. ^ "ULA Marks Delta 50th Anniversary with Successful Delta IV GPS IIF SV-1 Launch". United Launch Alliance. 27 May 2010. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  15. ^ "United Launch Alliance Marks the 50th Successful GPS Launch for the Air Force with the Delivery of the GPS IIF-2 Mission to orbit". United Launch Alliance. 16 July 2011. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  16. ^ "United Launch Alliance Delta IV Rocket Successfully Launches US Air Force's Wideband Global SATCOM-4 (WGS-4) Satellite". United Launch Alliance. 19 January 2012. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  17. ^ "United Launch Alliance Delta IV Rocket Successfully Launches Payload for the National Reconnaissance Office". United Launch Alliance. 3 April 2012. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  18. ^ "United Launch Alliance Delta IV Rocket Successfully Launches Global Positioning System Satellite for the U.S. Air Force". United Launch Alliance. 4 October 2012. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  19. ^ "United Launch Alliance Launches Second Successful Mission for U.S. Air Force in Just Nine Days". United Launch Alliance. 24 May 2013. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  20. ^ "United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches Second Wideband Global SATCOM Mission for U.S. Air Force in Less Than Three Months". United Launch Alliance. 8 August 2013. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  21. ^ "United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches 25th Delta IV Mission Carrying Global Positioning System Satellite for the U.S. Air Force". United Launch Alliance. 21 February 2014. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  22. ^ "United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches Second Global Positioning System Satellite for the U.S. Air Force in Less Than Three Months". United Launch Alliance. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  23. ^ "United Launch Alliance Marks 85th Successful Launch by Delivering Three Satellites into Orbit for the U.S. Air Force". United Launch Alliance. 29 July 2014. Archived from the original on 5 August 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  24. ^ "United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches Second Mission in Less than Two Weeks". United Launch Alliance. 26 March 2015. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  25. ^ "United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches WGS-7". United Launch Alliance. 23 July 2015. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  26. ^ "United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches NROL-45 Payload for the National Reconnaissance Office". United Launch Alliance. 10 February 2016. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  27. ^ "United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches AFSPC6 Mission for the U.S. Air Force". United Launch Alliance. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  28. ^ "United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches WGS8 Mission for the U.S. Air Force". United Launch Alliance. 7 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  29. ^ "Delta IV to Launch WGS-9 for the U.S. Air Force". United Launch Alliance. 18 March 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  30. ^ "United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches NROL-47 Mission for the National Reconnaissance Office". United Launch Alliance. 12 January 2018. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  31. ^ "United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches WGS-10 Mission". United Launch Alliance. 16 March 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  32. ^ "United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches GPS III Satellite for U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center". United Launch Alliance. 22 August 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  33. ^ "Launch Schedule". Spaceflight Now. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  34. ^ "Launch Mission Execution Forecast". 45th Weather Squadron – Patrick Air Force Base. 30 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.