Delta C

{{Infobox Rocket

|image = Thor Delta C with Explorer 18 (Nov. 27 1963).jpg

|caption = The first Delta C launches with Explorer 18

|alt = Photo of Delta C rocket lifting off

|function = Expendable launch system

|country-origin = United States

|sites = Cape Canaveral LC-17

|launches = 13

|success = 12

|fail = 1

|status = Retired

|first = 27 November 1963

|last = 22 January 1969

|manufacturer=Douglas Aircraft Company}}

The Delta C, or Thor-Delta C was an American expendable launch system used for thirteen orbital launches between 1963 and 1969. It was a member of the Delta family of rockets.

Configuration

The first stage was a Thor missile in the DSV-2A (MB-3-II) configuration, and the second stage was the Delta D (AJ-10-118D), which was derived from the earlier Delta. The baseline Delta C used an Altair-2 (X-258) third stage, whilst the Delta C1 had an FW-4D third stage, which provided a higher payload capacity than the Altair. It is unclear whether two or three launches were made using the C1 configuration.

Launches

The Delta C was launched from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 17. Most launches carried NASA research satellites into low Earth orbit.{{Cite web|last=Wade|first=Mark|title=Delta|url=http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/delta.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724064027/http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/delta.htm|archive-date=2008-07-24|lang=en}}{{Cite web|last=Krebs|first=Gunter|title=Thor Family|url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_fam/thor.htm|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-21|website=Gunter's Space Page|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070806202728/http://space.skyrocket.de:80/doc_lau_fam/thor.htm |archive-date=2007-08-06 }}

class="wikitable sortable"

!Variant

!S/N

!Date

!Launch Site

!Payload

!Result

Delta C

|387/D-21

|27.11.1963

|CC LC-17B

|Explorer 18 (IMP A)