As of October 2018, only the Delta IV remains in production. Single-stick versions of Delta IV was retired by United Launch Alliance (ULA) in 2019 and replaced by the ULA Atlas V, leaving the Delta IV Heavy the only remaining operational member of the Delta family, flying US national security missions. [1]
List of Thor and Delta launches |
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1957–1959 · 1960–1969 · 1970–1979 · 1980–1989 · 1990–1999 · 2000–2009 · 2010–2019 · 2020–2024 |
2010 | ||||||||
Flight No. | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
348 | 4 March 2010 23:57 | Delta IV M+ (4,2) | CCAFS SLC-37B | GOES-P (GOES-15) | 3,238 kg | GTO | NASA | Success [2] |
NOAA Weather satellite in the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) program. Replaced GOES-11 as the GOES West satellite. | ||||||||
349 | 28 May 2010 03:00 | Delta IV M+ (4,2) | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-213 (GPS IIF SV-1) | 1,630 kg | MEO | US Air Force | Success [3] |
Navigation satellite | ||||||||
350 | 6 November 2010 02:20 | Delta II 7420-10C | VAFB SLC-2W | COSMO-4 | 1,900 kg | SSO | Italian Space Agency | Success [4] [5] |
Earth imaging / One of four reconnaissance and Earth observation satellites. The satellite's imagery will be applied to defense and security assurance in Italy and other countries, seismic hazard analysis, environmental disaster monitoring, and agricultural mapping. [6] | ||||||||
351 | 21 November 2010 22:58 | Delta IV Heavy | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-223 (NROL-32) | Classified | GEO | US NRO | Success [7] |
ELINT satellite | ||||||||
2011 | ||||||||
Flight No. | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
352 | 20 January 2011 21:10 | Delta IV Heavy | VAFB SLC-6 | USA-224 (NROL-49) | 19,600 kg | LEO | US NRO | Success [8] |
Reconnaissance satellite. First Delta IV Heavy launch from Vandenberg [8] | ||||||||
353 | 11 March 2011 23:38 | Delta IV M+ (4,2) | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-227 (NROL-27) | 2335 kg | GTO | US NRO | Success [9] |
Military comsat. | ||||||||
354 | 10 June 2011 14:20 | Delta II 7320-10C | VAFB SLC-2W | SAC-D | 1,350 kg | SSO | CONAE / NASA | Success [10] |
A technology demonstration and Earth observation satellite. The launch was delayed from May 2010 because development of the spacecraft was taking longer than expected. [11] | ||||||||
355 | 16 July 2011 06:41 | Delta IV M+ (4,2) | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-232 (GPS IIF-2) | 1,630 kg | MEO | US Air Force | Success [12] |
Navigation satellite | ||||||||
356 | 10 September 2011 13:08 | Delta II 7920H-10C | CCAFS SLC-17B | GRAIL | 307 kg | Lunar orbit | NASA/JPL | Success [13] |
Final Delta II Heavy launch and final launch from SLC-17 at CCAFS. Part of NASA's Discovery Program which used high-quality gravitational field mapping of the Moon to determine its interior structure. The launch was delayed several days due to high level winds and an issue with the rocket's propulsion system that was detected while the Delta 2 rocket was drained of fuel. | ||||||||
357 | 28 October 2011 09:48 | Delta II 7920-10C | VAFB SLC-2W | Suomi NPP / ELaNa III | 1,400 kg | SSO | NASA / NOAA / DoD | Success [14] |
A weather satellite that acts as a bridge between POES satellites and the Joint Polar Satellite System. The satellite measures climate data. The launch also included the secondary payload ELaNa III, 5 CubeSats that are part of the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites NASA program. | ||||||||
2012 | ||||||||
Flight No. | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
358 | 20 January 2012 00:38 | Delta IV M+ (5,4) | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-233 (WGS-4) | 5,987 kg | GTO | US Air Force | Success [15] |
Military comsat | ||||||||
359 | 3 April 2012 23:12 | Delta IV M+ (5,2) | VAFB SLC-6 | USA-234 (NROL-25) | Classified | LEO | US NRO | Success [16] |
First Delta IV Medium+ (5,2) launch, Reconnaissance satellite | ||||||||
360 | 29 June 2012 13:15 | Delta IV Heavy | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-237 (NROL-15) | Classified | GSO | US NRO | Success [17] |
First flight with RS-68A engines, ELINT satellite | ||||||||
361 | 4 October 2012 12:10 | Delta IV M+ (4,2) | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-239 (GPS IIF-3) | 1,630 kg | MEO | US Air Force | Success [18] |
Upper stage anomaly, [19] Satellite navigation | ||||||||
2013 | ||||||||
Flight No. | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
362 | 25 May 2013 00:27 | Delta IV M+ (5,4) | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-243 (WGS-5) | 5,987 kg | GTO | US Air Force | Success [20] |
Military comsat | ||||||||
363 | 8 August 2013 00:29 | Delta IV M+ (5,4) | CCAFS, SLC-37B | USA-244 (WGS-6) | 5987 kg | GTO | US Air Force | Success [21] |
Military comsat | ||||||||
364 | 28 August 2013 18:03 | Delta IV Heavy | VAFB, SLC-6 | USA-245 (NROL-65) | Classified | LEO | US NRO | Success [22] |
First launch with staggered ignition sequence, new Delta IV Heavy launch standard, reconnaissance satellite. | ||||||||
2014 | ||||||||
Flight No. | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
365 | 21 February 2014 01:59 | Delta IV M+ (4,2) | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-248 (GPS IIF-5) | 1,630 kg | MEO | US Air Force | Success [23] |
25th Delta IV launch, Satellite navigation | ||||||||
366 | 17 May 2014 00:03 | Delta IV M+ (4,2) | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-251 (GPS IIF-6) | 1,630 kg | MEO | US Air Force | Success [24] |
Navigation satellite | ||||||||
367 | 2 July 2014 09:56 | Delta II 7320-10C | VAFB SLC-2W | OCO-2 | 454 kg | SSO | NASA | Success [25] |
Climate research satellite being used to study carbon dioxide concentrations and distributions in the atmosphere. The initial launch attempt on 1 July at 09:56:44 UTC was scrubbed at 46 seconds on the countdown clock due to a faulty valve on the water suppression system, used to flow water on the launch pad to dampen the acoustic energy during launch. | ||||||||
368 | 28 July 2014 23:28 | Delta IV M+ (4,2) | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-253/254/255 (AFSPC-4 (GSSAP #1/#2/ANGELS)) | Classified | GEO | DoD/AFRL | Success [26] |
Space surveillance / Technology demonstration | ||||||||
369 | 5 December 2014 12:05 | Delta IV Heavy | CCAFS SLC-37B | EFT-1 | 25,848 kg | MEO | NASA | Success [27] |
First Delta IV Heavy launch for NASA. The mission was a four-hour, two-orbit test of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle. The launch was delayed several hours due to weather and technical reasons. | ||||||||
2015 | ||||||||
Flight No. | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
370 | 31 January 2015 14:22 | Delta II 7320-10C | VAFB SLC-2W | SMAP/ELaNa X | 944 kg | SSO | NASA | Success [28] |
Final launch of Delta II 7300 series. [1] Environmental research satellite. SMAP provides measurements of the land surface soil moisture and freeze-thaw state with near-global revisit coverage in 2–3 days. The launch also included the secondary payload ELaNa X, 3 CubeSats that are part of the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites NASA program. | ||||||||
371 | 25 March 2015 18:36 | Delta IV M+ (4,2) | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-260 (GPS IIF-9) | 1,630 kg | MEO | US Air Force | Success [29] |
Final launch of baseline RS-68 engine, [30] Navigation satellite | ||||||||
372 | 24 July 2015 00:07 | Delta IV M+ (5,4) | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-263 (WGS-7) | 5,987 kg | GTO | DoD | Success [31] |
Second flight with an RS-68A engine; New standard for Delta IV rockets, Military comsat | ||||||||
2016 | ||||||||
Flight No. | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
373 | 10 February 2016, 11:40 | Delta IV M+ (5,2) | VAFB SLC-6 | USA-267 (NROL-45) | Classified | LEO | US NRO | Success [32] |
Reconnaissance satellite | ||||||||
374 | 11 June 2016 17:51 | Delta IV Heavy | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-268 (NROL-37) | Classified | GSO | US NRO | Success [33] |
Reconnaissance satellite | ||||||||
375 | 19 August 2016 04:52 | Delta IV M+ (4,2) | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-270/271 (AFSPC-6 (GSSAP #3/#4)) | Classified | GEO | DoD | Success [34] |
Space surveillance satellite | ||||||||
376 | 7 December 2016 23:53 | Delta IV M+ (5,4) | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-272 (WGS-8) | 5,987 | GTO | DoD | Success [35] |
Military comsat | ||||||||
2017 | ||||||||
Flight No. | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
377 | 19 March 2017 00:18 | Delta IV M+ (5,4) | CCAFS SLC-37B | USA-275 (WGS-9) | 5,987 kg | GTO | DoD | Success [36] |
Military comsat | ||||||||
378 | 18 November 2017 09:47 | Delta II 7920-10C | VAFB SLC-2W | JPSS-1/NOAA-20 | 2,540 kg | SSO | NOAA | Success [37] |
Final flight of the Delta II 7900 series. The NOAA-20 launch was delayed several times, from 2014 to 2017, due to various testing problems. First satellite of the JPSS series weather satellite system. JPSS will provide the global environmental data used in numerical weather prediction models for forecasts, and scientific data used for climate monitoring. Re-designated NOAA-20. [38] | ||||||||
2018 | ||||||||
Flight No. | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
379 | 12 January 2018 22:11 | Delta IV M+ (5,2) | VAFB SLC-6 | USA-281 (NROL-47) | Classified | LEO | US NRO | Success [39] |
Final flight of Delta IV M+(5,2) variant. Reconnaissance satellite. | ||||||||
380 | 12 August 2018, 07:31 | Delta IV Heavy | CCAFS SLC-37B | Parker Solar Probe | 685 kg | Heliocentric | NASA | Success |
Only use of Delta IV Heavy with Star 48BV third stage (9255H). Heliophysics; 8.5 solar radii (5.9 million km) perihelion. | ||||||||
381 | 15 September 2018, 13:02 | Delta II 7420-10C | VAFB SLC-2W | ICESat-2 | 1,514 kg | LEO | NASA | Success |
Final Delta II launch and final flight of a Thor-derived launch vehicle. 100th successful launch of a Delta II in a row. Earth science satellite. | ||||||||
2019 | ||||||||
Flight No. | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
382 | 19 January 2019 19:10 | Delta IV Heavy | VAFB, SLC-6 | USA-290 (NROL-71) | Classified | LEO | US NRO | Success [40] |
383 | 16 March 2019 00:26 | Delta IV M+ (5,4) | CCAFS, SLC-37B | USA-291 (WGS-10) | 5,987 kg | GTO | DoD | Success [41] |
Final flight of Delta IV M+(5,4) variant. Military comsat. | ||||||||
384 | 22 August 2019 13:06 | Delta IV M+ (4,2) | CCAFS, SLC-37B | USA-293 (GPS III-2) | 3,705 kg | MEO | US Air Force | Success [42] |
Final flight of the single-stick Delta IV Medium configuration. [42] Navigation satellite. |
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.
Atlas V is an expendable launch system and the fifth major version in the Atlas launch vehicle family. It was originally designed by Lockheed Martin, now being operated by United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing. It is used for DoD, NASA, and Commercial payloads. It is America's longest-serving active rocket. After 87 launches, in August 2021 ULA announced that Atlas V would be retired, and all 29 remaining launches had been sold. As of January 2024, 17 launches remain. Other future ULA launches will use the new Vulcan Centaur rocket.
Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California is a launch pad and support area. The site was originally developed starting in 1966, but no launches occurred until 1995, as it was repurposed sequentially for three programs that were subsequently cancelled. Initially to be used for Titan IIIM rockets and the Manned Orbiting Laboratory, these were cancelled before construction of SLC-6 was complete. The complex was later rebuilt to serve as the west coast launch site for the Space Shuttle, but went unused due to budget, safety and political considerations. The pad was subsequently used for four Athena rocket launches before being modified to support the Delta IV launch vehicle family, which used the pad for ten launches from 2006 until 2022. The last Delta IV launched in September 2022, and SpaceX leased SLC-6 in 2023 to convert it to launch Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy starting in 2025.
United Launch Alliance, LLC, commonly referred to as ULA, is an American aerospace manufacturer, defense contractor and launch service provider that manufactures and operates rockets that launch spacecraft into Earth orbit and on trajectories to other bodies in the Solar System. ULA also designed and builds the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage for the Space Launch System (SLS).
The Wideband Global SATCOM system (WGS) is a high capacity United States Space Force satellite communications system planned for use in partnership by the United States Department of Defense (DoD), Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) and the Australian Department of Defence. The system is composed of the Space Segment satellites, the Terminal Segment users and the Control Segment operators.
The Delta IV Heavy was an expendable heavy-lift launch vehicle, the largest type of the Delta IV family. It was the world's third highest-capacity launch vehicle in operation at the time of its retirement in 2024, behind NASA's Space Launch System and SpaceX's Falcon Heavy and closely followed by CASC's Long March 5. It was manufactured by United Launch Alliance (ULA) and was first launched in 2004. ULA retired the Delta IV Heavy in 2024. Future ULA launches will use the new Vulcan Centaur rocket. Delta IV's final flight was initially scheduled for March 29, 2024 for the National Reconnaissance Office; its actual launch date was April 9, 2024 after a postponement.
USA 202, previously NRO Launch 26 or NROL-26, is a classified spacecraft which is operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office. It is an Advanced Orion ELINT satellite. According to Aviation Week, it "fundamentally involves America's biggest, most secret and expensive military spacecraft on board the world's largest rocket." The combined cost of the spacecraft and launch vehicle has been estimated to be over US$2 billion.
USA-227, known before launch as NRO Launch 27 (NROL-27), is an American communications satellite which was launched in 2011. It is operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office.
USA-233, or Wideband Global SATCOM 4 (WGS-4) is a United States military communications satellite operated by the United States Air Force as part of the Wideband Global SATCOM program, launched in 2012. The fourth Wideband Global SATCOM satellite, it is the first WGS Block II satellite to be launched. It is stationed at 88.5° East in geostationary orbit.
USA-243, also known as WGS-5, is a United States military communications satellite. It was the fifth satellite to be launched as part of the Wideband Global SATCOM program and the second Block II satellite.
USA-245 or NRO Launch 65 (NROL-65) is an American reconnaissance satellite which is operated by the National Reconnaissance Office. Launched in August 2013, it is the last Block 4 KH-11 reconnaissance satellite, and the last official spacecraft to be launched in the Keyhole program.
USA 211, or Wideband Global SATCOM 3 is a United States military communications satellite operated by the United States Air Force as part of the Wideband Global SATCOM programme. Launched in 2009, it was the third WGS satellite, and final Block I satellite, to reach orbit. It was originally stationed in geostationary orbit at 12° West.
USA-244, or Wideband Global SATCOM 6 (WGS-6) is a United States military communications satellite operated by the United States Air Force as part of the Wideband Global SATCOM programme. Launched in 2013, it was the sixth WGS satellite to reach orbit. It is stationed at a longitude of 135° West, in geostationary orbit. WGS-6 was procured by the Australian Defence Force for the U.S. Air Force, in exchange for participation in the programme.