Posted on 10/09/2001 1:56:00 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
A brand new launch pad was dedicated Tuesday in a ceremony attended by several dignitaries. Many involved in U.S. military operations depend on satellites launched from the Space Coast to guide them in these difficult times.
That is why the new launch complex at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is so vital.
Launch Complex 37 was an impressive sight as a Delta IV rocket sat on its pad.
The tower is 32-stories tall, much taller than the traditional launch pad.
Located near the launch pad is the new horizontal-integration building. Representatives of the Air Force station said that it is the first of its kind. In the building, rockets are laid on their side as they are being prepared for launch. The close proximity to the launch pad allows crews to quickly get the rocket up and launched.
The launch pad and horizontal-integration building represent a major upgrade at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at a time when military bases are getting a higher priority.
The whole project was developed in just four years. The Delta IV is as big around as the giant Saturn V moon rockets, but it will not be as tall. It is designed to reduce the cost of putting payloads into space by 25 percent and it will have the first American-built rocket engine in 28 years.
The dedication of the launch pad comes at a time when the military is trying to make more use of space in the future, as the secretary of the Air Force said at the ceremonies Tuesday.
"We will be increasingly making use of space to help us monitor a whole world. And the fact that you are able to produce these launch vehicles at a much lower cost will enable us to buy these services and will enable us to think more about putting things into space," Air Force Secretary Dr. James Roche said.
Boeing is the builder of the Delta IV and will be using it at first for military launches, but is also selling commercial launches.
The first launch of the Delta IV is scheduled for next April.
The Shuttle system can actually launch 250,000 lb into LEO -- of which ~200,000 lb is the Shuttle itself.
As for the Delta IV capacity -- that's a function of what people want to launch. For the moment, there's no demand to lauch Saturn-sized payloads.
Note, however, that the EELV program (which includes the Delta IV and Atlas V) also has a "heavy" variant which has more payload capacity than this one. There was also a "light" variant which was cancelled, as it was not significantly different from the current Delta II and Atlas varieties.
Finally, Boeing also builds the Delta III.
True but so what? Should we count the empty SII stage?
NASA67-95
Just a FWIW for now, until somebody decides to resurrect the "Shuttle-C" concept -- basically replacing the Shuttle structure with a big shroud with an aft propulsion module. The payload for that would be something on the order of 100 tons.
The idea was dropped about 1990 or so due to insufficient demand. Still, it would be a relatively straightforward conversion should the occasion ever arise.
(And what about the rocket to Mars?)
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