 Spent Delta-K stage, photographed in orbit | |
| Manufacturer | United Launch Alliance (formerlyBoeing andMcDonnell Douglas) |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Used on | Delta 4000 Delta 5000 Delta II |
| General characteristics | |
| Height | 5.9 meters (19 ft)[1] |
| Diameter | 2.4 meters (7.9 ft)[1] |
| Gross mass | 6,954 kilograms (15,331 lb)[1] |
| Propellant mass | 6,004 kilograms (13,237 lb)[2] |
| Engine details | |
| Powered by | 1AJ10-118K |
| Maximum thrust | 43.63 kilonewtons (9,810 lbf)[1] |
| Specific impulse | 319 seconds (3.13 km/s)[1] |
| Burn time | 431 seconds[1] |
| Propellant | Aerozine 50 /N2O4 |
TheDelta-K was an Americanrocketstage, developed by McDonnell Douglas and Aerojet. It was first used on 27 August 1989 as the second stage for theDelta 4000 series.
It continued to serve as the second stage for subsequent variants of theDelta rocket.
It was propelled by a singleAJ10-118K rocket engine, fueled byAerozine 50 anddinitrogen tetroxide,[1] which arehypergolic.
The Delta-K had a long heritage to the firstAble stage used inProject Vanguard. The AJ-10 engine was first used in the Able second stage of theVanguard rocket, as the AJ10-118 configuration. It was initially fueled bynitric acid andUDMH.[3] An AJ10 engine was first fired in flight during the third Vanguard launch, on 17 March 1958, which successfully placed theVanguard 1 satellite into orbit.
As of 25 May 2008, 138 have been launched,[4] and excluding one which was destroyed by the explosion of a lower stage, none have failed.[4]
The Delta-K was used as the second stage of theDelta II rocket from 1989 to 2018.[4] This second stage was retired at conclusion of theICESat-2 launch on 15 September 2018.
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