Satellite Launched : McDonnell’s Delta 2 In Orbit
McDonnell Douglas’ new Delta 2 rocket soared into orbit on its maiden voyage Tuesday and successfully launched an Air Force navigation satellite.
Tuesday’s launch was an important milestone for McDonnell Douglas’ Space Systems Co. in Huntington Beach because it represents the first working mission for the Delta 2, a more powerful version of the earlier Delta rocket.
The launch was also important to Rockwell International, which designed and built the Navstar, or Global Positioning Satellite, at its Satellite and Space Electronics Division in Seal Beach.
The 3,675-pound Navstar GPS is an advanced version of several earlier model Navstars currently in orbit. The new satellite will enable U.S. and allied military ships, aircraft and ground forces to pinpoint their location within a few feet anywhere on the globe.
The satellite has two communication channels for military and commercial uses. Civilian users, such as ships or trucks, will be able to locate their position within about 300 feet, the Air Force said.
Following a 2 1/2-year shutdown, McDonnell Douglas reopened its Delta production line in January, 1987, after receiving a $750-million Air Force contract to build and launch 20 Deltas. The Air Force originally planned to launch all the satellites on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s space shuttle fleet. But the plan was scrapped after the Challenger space shuttle explosion in January, 1986.
The Delta 2 is one of three classes of unmanned rockets the Air Force has been developing since the Challenger disaster, which led to NASA’s decision to drop out of the commercial launch business, creating new opportunities for rocket manufacturers.
McDonnell Douglas has also been seeking commercial customers for the Delta 2. The company has signed eight commercial contracts valued at about $50 million each for the Delta. The first commercial Delta launch of a communication and weather satellite for the government of India is scheduled for May.
Tuesday’s launch from Cape Canaveral, Fla., had been postponed twice before, most recently on Sunday, because of high winds.
