Inaugural Flight of the EELV Delta IV Heavy Expendable Launch Vehicle

Paper number

IAC-05-D2.1.03

Author

Mr. Michael Berglund, The Boeing Company, United States

Coauthor

Mr. Dan Marin, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, United States

Coauthor

Mr. Mark Wilkins, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, United States

Year

2005

Abstract

On 21 December, 2003, the Boeing Company's Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida at 4:50 p.m. EST, on a demonstration launch for the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program.  Achieving its primary objectives, this breathtaking launch marked the inaugural flight of the Boeing Delta Heavy.

The Heavy launch vehicle represents the largest of the five vehicles of the Delta IV family.  The family 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.  The current Heavy configuration has the highest mass-to-orbit performance capability of any US Expendable Launch Vehicle currently in production. 

All Delta IV vehicle configurations utilize a common booster core (CBC).  The Heavy employs two additional CBC's, serving as liquid rocket boosters for added payload capability.  The vehicle measures 71.7 meters in height when fully stacked with a payload.

Integrating a new launch vehicle with the launch site ground systems and achieving mission success on the first flight poses many unique challenges.  This paper summarizes the critical events and challenges of the day of launch, from liftoff through the contamination and collision avoidance maneuver (CCAM).  Liftoff, max Q, strap-on CBC jettison, main engine cutoff (MECO), stage I/II separation, fairing jettison, secondary payload separation, transfer orbit, and the demonstration satellite payload separation are some of the critical events that are summarized.  Post-flight data reconstruction and anomaly resolution will also be summarized.  

Abstract document

IAC-05-D2.1.03.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-05-D2.1.03.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.