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The flight readiness and the future of the Boeing Delta IV Heavy expendable launch vehicle

2005; Elsevier BV; Volume: 57; Issue: 2-8 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.actaastro.2005.03.031

1879-2030

Michael Berglund, Dan Marin, Mark E. Wilkins,

Spacecraft Design and Technology

In early December 2003, the first Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle was successfully rolled out of the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) and erected on Space Launch Complex (SLC) 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The vehicle remains on the launch pad, undergoing a series of launch readiness tests in preparation for liftoff on a qualification flight in the fall of 2004. The Heavy launch vehicle represents the largest of the five vehicles of the Delta IV family, which consists of the Delta IV Medium, three Delta IV Medium vehicles with solid strap-on rocket motors (Medium-Plus variants), and the Delta IV Heavy. All vehicle configurations utilize a common booster core (CBC). The Heavy employs two additional CBCs, serving as liquid rocket boosters for added payload capability. The vehicle measures 71.7 m in height when fully stacked with a payload. This paper describes in detail the Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle and summarizes the flight readiness process in preparation for a successful flight, including wet dress rehearsals. A summary of the sequence of events of the Heavy qualification flight is also included.