Titan (rocket family)
Titan family | |
---|---|
The Titan rocket family. | |
Role | Expendable launch system with various applications |
Manufacturer | Glenn L. Martin Company |
First flight | 1958-12-20[1] |
Introduction | 1959 |
Retired | 2005 |
Primary users | National Aeronautics and Space Administration
|
Produced | 1957–2000s (decade) |
Number built | 368 |
Variants |
Titan was a family of United States
Titan I missile
The HGM-25A Titan I, built by the
Unlike decommissioned Thor, Atlas, and Titan II missiles, the Titan I inventory was scrapped and never reused for space launches or
Titan II
Titan II missile
Most of the Titan rockets were the Titan II ICBM and their civilian derivatives for
The first Titan II guidance system was built by
Hypergolic propellants
Liquid oxygen is dangerous to use in an enclosed space, such as a
Accidents at silos
There were several accidents in Titan II silos resulting in loss of life and/or serious injuries.
In August 1965, 53 construction workers were killed in fire in a missile silo northwest of Searcy, Arkansas. The fire started when hydraulic fluid used in the Titan II was ignited by a welding torch.[5][6]
The liquid fuel missiles were prone to developing leaks of their toxic propellants. At a silo outside Rock, Kansas, an oxidizer transfer line carrying NTO ruptured on August 24, 1978.[7] An ensuing orange vapor cloud forced 200 rural residents to evacuate the area.[8] A staff sergeant of the maintenance crew was killed while attempting a rescue and a total of twenty were hospitalized.[9]
Another site at Potwin, Kansas leaked NTO oxidizer in April 1980 with no fatalities,[10] and was later closed.
In September 1980, at Titan II silo 374-7 near Damascus, Arkansas, a technician dropped an 8 lb (3.6 kg) socket that fell 70 ft (21 m), bounced off a thrust mount, and broke the skin of the missile's first stage,[11] over eight hours prior to an eventual explosion.[12] The puncture occurred about 6:30 p.m.[13] and when a leak was detected shortly after, the silo was flooded with water and civilian authorities were advised to evacuate the area.[14] As the problem was being attended to at around 3 a.m.,[13] leaking rocket fuel ignited and blew the 8,000 lb (3,630 kg) nuclear warhead out of the silo. It landed harmlessly several hundred feet away.[15][16][17] There was one fatality and 21 were injured,[18] all from the emergency response team from Little Rock AFB.[13][19] The explosion blew the 740-ton launch tube cover 200 ft (60 m) into the air and left a crater 250 feet (76 m) in diameter.[20]
Missile retirement
The 54 Titan IIs missiles from the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s.
A number of Titan I and Titan II missiles have been distributed as museum displays across the United States.
Titan II launch vehicle
The most famous use of the civilian Titan II was in the NASA Gemini program of crewed space capsules in the mid-1960s. Twelve Titan II GLVs were used to launch two U.S. uncrewed Gemini test launches and ten crewed capsules with two-person crews. All of the launches were successful.
Titan 23G
Starting in the late 1980s, some of the deactivated Titan IIs were converted into space launch vehicles to be used for launching U.S. Government payloads. Titan 23G rockets consisted of two stages burning
Thirteen were launched from
Gallery
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Titan II ICBM
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Titan II GLV
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Titan 23G
Titan III
The Titan III was a modified Titan II with optional solid rocket boosters. It was developed on behalf of the United States Air Force (USAF) as a heavy-lift satellite launcher to be used mainly to launch American military payloads and civilian intelligence agency satellites such as the Vela Hotel nuclear-test-ban monitoring satellites, observation and reconnaissance satellites (for intelligence-gathering), and various series of defense communications satellites.[citation needed] As USAF project, Titan III was more formally known as Program 624A (SSLS), Standard Space Launch System, Standardized Space Launch System, Standardized Space Launching System or Standard Space Launching System (all abbreviated SSLS).[25][26][27]
The Titan III core was similar to the Titan II, but had a few differences. These included:[citation needed]
- Thicker tank walls and ablative skirts to support the added weight of upper stages
- Radio ground guidance in place of the inertial guidance on ICBM Titan IIs
- Guidance package placed on the upper stages (if present)
- Removal of retrorockets and other unnecessary ICBM hardware
- Slightly larger propellant tanks in the second stage for longer burn time; since they expanded into some unused space in the avionics truss, the actual length of the stage remained unchanged.
The Titan III family used the same basic LR-87 engines as Titan II (with performance enhancements over the years), however SRB-equipped variants had a heat shield over them as protection from the SRB exhaust and the engines were modified for air-starting.[citation needed]
Avionics
The first guidance system for the Titan III used the AC Spark Plug company IMU (inertial measurement unit) and an IBM ASC-15 guidance computer from the Titan II. For the Titan III, the ASC-15 drum memory of the computer was lengthened to add 20 more usable tracks, which increased its memory capacity by 35%.[28]
The more-advanced Titan IIIC used a Delco Carousel VB IMU and MAGIC 352 Missile Guidance Computer (MGC).[29][30]
Titan IIIA
The Titan IIIA was a prototype rocket booster and consisted of a standard Titan II rocket with a Transtage upper stage.[citation needed]
Titan IIIB
The Titan IIIB with its different versions (23B, 24B, 33B, and 34B) had the Titan III core booster with an
Titan IIIC
The powerful Titan IIIC used a Titan III core rocket with two large strap-on solid-fuel boosters to increase its launch thrust and maximum payload mass. The solid-fuel boosters that were developed for the Titan IIIC represented a significant engineering advance over previous solid-fueled rockets, due to their large size and thrust, and their advanced thrust-vector control systems.[citation needed]
Titan IIID
The Titan IIID was the Vandenberg Air Force Base version of the Titan IIIC, without a Transtage, that was used to place members of the Key Hole series of reconnaissance satellites into polar low Earth orbits.[citation needed]
Titan IIIE
The Titan IIIE, with a high-
Titan 34D
The Titan 34D featured Stage 1 and Stage 2 stretched with more powerful
Commercial Titan III
Derived from the Titan 34D and originally proposed as a medium-lift expendable launch system for the US Air Force, who selected the Delta II instead. Development was continued as a commercial launch system, and the first rocket flew in 1990. The Commercial Titan III differed from the Titan 34D in that it had a stretched second stage, and a larger payload fairing to accommodate dual satellite payloads.
Titan IIIM
The Titan IIIM was intended to launch the Manned Orbiting Laboratory and other payloads. Development was cancelled in 1969. The projected UA1207 solid booster rockets were eventually used on the Titan IV.[35][36]
Gallery
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Titan IIIA
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Titan 23B
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Titan IIIC
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Titan IIID
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Titan IIIE
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Titan 34D
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Commercial Titan 3
Titan IV
The Titan IV was an extended length Titan III with solid rocket boosters on its sides. The Titan IV could be launched with a
When it was being produced, the Titan IV was the most powerful uncrewed rocket available to the United States, with proportionally high manufacturing and operations expenses. By the time the Titan IV became operational, the requirements of the
-
Titan IV-A
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Titan IV-B
Titan V concept
The Titan V was a proposed development of the Titan IV, that saw several designs being suggested. One Titan V proposal was for an enlarged Titan IV, capable of lifting up to 90,000 pounds (41,000 kg) of payload.[39] Another used a cryogenic first stage with LOX/LH2 propellants;[40] however the Atlas V EELV was selected for production instead.
Launch vehicle retirement
Most of the decommissioned Titan II ICBMs were refurbished and used for Air Force space launch vehicles, with a perfect launch success record.[41]
For orbital launches, there were strong advantages to using higher-performance
See also
- Titan Missile Museum
- List of Titan launches
- Comparison of orbital launchers families
- Comparison of orbital launch systems
- Titan site 374-7 explosion
Notes
- ^ Barton, Rusty (2003-11-18). "Titan 1 Chronology". Titan 1 ICBM History Website. Geocities.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2007. Retrieved 2005-06-05.
- ^ Stakem, Patrick H. The History of Spacecraft Computers from the V-2 to the Space Station, 2010, PRB Publishing, ASIN B004L626U6[ISBN missing]
- ISBN 1-55728-601-9. pp. 63–67.
- ISBN 0-517-68802-6. p. 233.
- ^ "Escape Route Blocked in Silo Disaster". Ellensburg Daily Record. Associated Press. August 13, 1965. p. 1. Retrieved 2011-01-03.
- ^ "Blast is second serious mishap in 17-year-old U.S. Titan fleet". Montreal Gazette. September 20, 1980. p. 2.
- ^ "1 killed, 6 injured when fuel line breaks at Kansas Titan missile site". St. Petersburg Times. UPI. August 25, 1978. p. 4. Retrieved 2009-10-18.
- ^ "Thunderhead Of Lethal Vapor Kills Airman At Missile Silo". The Ledger. Associated Press. August 25, 1978. p. 7. Retrieved 2009-10-18.
- ^ "Airman at Titan site died attempting rescue". Lawrence Journal-World. Associated Press. August 26, 1978. p. 2.
- ^ "Air Force plugs leak in Kansas missile silo". Lawrence Journal-World. Associated Press. April 23, 1980. p. 16.
- ^ Colby, Terri (September 19, 1980). "Explosion wrecks Titan missile silo". Free Lance-Star. Fredericksburg, VA. Associated Press. p. 1.
- ^ "Warhead apparently moved from Arkansas missile site". Lewiston (ME) Daily Sun. Associated Press. September 23, 1980. p. 10.
- ^ a b c "Caution advice disregarded at Titan missile site?". Tuscaloosa News. Washington Post. October 23, 1980. p. 23.
- ^ Colby, Terri (September 19, 1980). "Missile silo blast hurts 22 workers". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. p. 1.
- ^ "Light on the Road to Damascus" Time magazine, September 29, 1980. Retrieved 2006-09-12
- ^ "Titan warhead is reported lying in Arkansas woods". St. Petersburg Times. wire services. September 21, 1980. p. 1A.
- ^ "Did warhead leave its silo?". Eugene Register-Guard. wire services. September 21, 1980. p. 1A.
- ^ a b "The Titan controversy". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. September 20, 1980. p. 2.
- ^ "Warhead blown off in Titan blast". Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. 21 September 1980. p. 1A.
- ^ "Arkansas recalls missile accident". Nashua (NH) Telegraph. Associated Press. September 19, 1981. p. 14.
- ^ Pincus, Walter (September 20, 1980). "Titan II: 54 accidents waiting to happen". Spokesman-REview. Washington Post. p. 5.
- ^ Charton, Scott (May 7, 1987). "America's last Titan 2 nuclear missile is deactivated". Times-News. Hendersonville, NC. Associated Press. p. 3.
- ^ a b Krebs, Gunter. "Titan-2". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-04-29.
- ^ Ray, Justin (October 18, 2003). "U.S. weather satellite finally escapes grasp of hard luck". spaceflightnow.com. Retrieved 2009-10-18.
- .
- ^ Program 624A. Program Documentation Requirements General Specification (Report). 1962-11-01. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022.
- ^ New Scientist. Reed Business Information. 1962-09-06.
- ^ Paul O. Larson. "Titan III Inertial Guidance System," p.4.
- ^ Liang, A.C. (March 2022). "Dynamic Calibration for Delco's Carousel VB IMU" (PDF). Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ A.C. Liang and D.L. Kleinbub. "Navigation of the Titan IIIC space launch vehicle using the Carousel VB IMU." AIAA Guidance and Control Conference, Key Biscayne, FL, 20–22 August 1973. AIAA Paper No. 73-905.
- ^ Titan 3B Launched, Aviation Week & Space Technology, August 8, 1966, p. 29
- ^ Second Viking Launched Prior to Thunderstorm, Aviation Week & Space Technology, September 15, 1975, page 20
- ^ "Viking Mission to Mars". NASA=. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
- ^ "Titan 34D". Astronautix.com. Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
- ^ "Titan 3M". Astronautix.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
- ISBN 1-85233-405-3.
- ^ "Titan 4B and Cape Canaveral". Space.com. Archived from the original on 2001-10-31. Retrieved 2008-05-21.
- ^ Rowan, Karen (23 July 2010). "Why Are Rockets Launched from Florida?". Space.com. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-8861-3301-3.
- ^ "Titan 5". www.astronautix.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016.
- ^ "Final Refurbished Titan II Missile Launches Defense Weather Bird". Space Daily. October 19, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
References
- Bonds, Ray Editor. The Modern US War Machine: An encyclopedia of American military equipment and strategy. Crown Publishers, New York City 1989. ISBN 0-517-68802-6
- USAF Sheppard Technical Training Center. "Student Study Guide, Missile Launch/Missile Officer (LGM-25)." May 1967. pp. 61–65. Available at WikiMedia Commons: TitanII MGC.pdf
- Larson, Paul O. "Titan III Inertial Guidance System," in AIAA Second Annual Meeting, San Francisco, 26–29 July 1965, pp. 1–11.
- Liang, A.C. and Kleinbub, D.L. "Navigation of the Titan IIIC space launch vehicle using the Carousel VB IMU". AIAA Guidance and Control Conference, Key Biscayne, FL, 20–22 August 1973. AIAA Paper No. 73-905.
- Stumpf, David K. Titan II: A History of a Cold War Missile Program. The University of Arkansas Press, 2000. [ISBN missing]
External links
- Titan history at astronautix.com – includes chronology of launches and variants
- Footage of November 1963 launch of Titan II at archive.org (b/w; 0m59s; includes early use of 'rocket cam' technology)
- Titan III Research and Development – 1967 US Air Force Educational Documentary on YouTube(color; 13m33s)
- Titan I at fas.org (Federation of American Scientists)
- Titan II at fas.org
- Titan history at fas.org
- Explosion at 374-7 – Details of the September 1980 Arkansas silo explosion
- Photo of the last Titan launch, at the APODarchive