Delta 7426-9.5
Launch vehicle · USA
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
American orbital launch vehicle. Four stage vehicle consisting of 4 x GEM-40 + 1 x EELT Thor/RS-27A + 1 x Delta K + 1 x Star 37FM with 2.9 m (9.5 foot) diameter fairing)
More at: Delta 7426-9.5.
Related
- Family
- orbital launch vehicle
- Country
- USA
- Spacecraft
- Stardust
- Projects
- Discovery series
- Launch Sites
- Cape Canaveral, Cape Canaveral LC17A
- Stages
- Delta Thor XLT-C, Delta K, GEM 40, Star 37FM
- Agency
- Douglas
Chronology
1 event
1999 February 7
21:04 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17A. Launch Pad: SLC17A. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Delta 7426-9.5.- Stardust - .
Payload: Discovery 4. Mass: 370 kg (810 lb). Nation: USA.
Agency: JPL.
Manufacturer: Martin.
Program: Discovery series.
Class: Comet.
Type: Comet probe. Spacecraft: Stardust.
USAF Sat Cat: 25618 . COSPAR: 1999-003A.
Stardust was to fly within 100 km of comet 81P/Wild-2 in January 2004 and recover cometary material using an aerogel substance. A return capsule would land on a lake bed in Utah in January 2006, returning the material to earth. The launch went as planned. The second stage ignited at 21:08 GMT and its first burn put the vehicle into a 185 km x 185 km x 28 degree parking orbit at 21:14 GMT. The second stage second burn at 21:25 changed the orbit to planned values of 178 km x 7184 km x 28.5 degrees. The Star 37FM solid third stage ignited at 21:29 GMT and placed the spacecraft into a 2 year period solar orbit. The spacecraft separated at 21:31 GMT. Meanwhile, the Delta 266 second stage burned a third time on its own, until its propellants were depleted, entering a final orbit of 294 km x 6818 km x 22.5 degrees. The Stardust probe flew past Earth at a distance of 3706 km at 1115 GMT on January 15, 2001, and flew near the Moon at a distance of 98000 km at around 0200 GMT on January 16. The gravity assist flyby changed Stardust's heliocentric orbit from 0.956 x 2.216 AU x 0.0 deg to 0.983 x 2.285 AU x 3.7 deg.