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Titan (rocket family)

Titan Family

Titan II launching a Gemini spacecraft.
Titan I
Stages2
1Engines1 x LR87-AJ-3
Thrust300,000 lbs
Burn time140 sec
FuelsRP-1/LOX
2Engines1 x LR91-AJ-3
Thrust80,000 lbs
Burn time155 sec
FuelsRP-1/LOX
Payload to LEO4,000 lbs
Payload to GTO
Titan II
Stages2 (nominally)
1Engines1 x LR87-AJ-5
Thrust430,000 lbs
Burn time
FuelsA-50 hydrazine/N204
2Engines1 x LR91-AJ-5
Thrust100,000 lbs
Burn time
FuelsA-50 hydrazine/N204
Payload to LEO4,200 lbs
Payload to GTO
Titan III
Stages3
0EnginesSolid Rocket Motors
Thrust
Burn time
Fuels
1Engines1 * LR87-AJ-11
Thrust
Burn time
FuelsA-50/N204
2Engines1 * LR91-AJ-11
Thrust
Burn time
FuelsA-50/N204
Payload to LEO23,000 lbs
Payload to GTO
Titan IVA
Stages3
0EnginesSolid Rocket Motors
Thrust
Burn time
Fuels
1Engines1 * LR87-AJ-11
Thrust511,200 lbs average
Burn time
FuelsA-50/N204
2Engines1 * LR91-AJ-11
Thrust106,150 lbs average
Burn time
FuelsA-50/N204
Payload to LEO39,100 lbs
Payload to GTO10,000 lbs
Titan IVB
Stages3
0EnginesSolid Rocket Motors
Thrust1,700,000 lbs each
Burn time
Fuels88% HTP
1Engines1 * LR87-AJ-11
Thrust511,200 lbs average
Burn time
FuelsA-50/N204
2Engines1 * LR91-AJ-11
Thrust106,150 lbs average
Burn time
FuelsA-50/N204
Payload to LEO47,800 lbs
Payload to GTO12,700 lbs

Titan is a family of US expendable rockets.

Most Titan rockets are derivatives of the Titan II ICBM. The Titan II is a hypergolicly-fueled two-stage ICBM used by the US Air Force from the mid 1960s to the mid 1980s. In the late 80s some of the deactivated Titan IIs were converted into space launch vehicles to be used launching US Government payloads. The final such vehicle launched an NOAA weather satellite from Vandenberg AFB in 2003. Titan IIs were also used to launch the US manned Gemini capsules.

The Titan III is a stretched Titan II with optional solid rocket boosters. It was developed by the US Air Force as a heavy-lift satellite launcher to be used mainly to launch US Military payloads such as DSP early-warning, Intelligence (ie. Spy), and defense communications satellites. It was also used to launch some NASA scientific probes such as the Voyagerss.

The Titan IV is a stretched Titan III with non-optional solid rocket boosters. It is almost exclusively used to launch US Military payloads, though it was also used to launch NASA's Galileo and Cassini probes to Jupiter and Saturn after the Shuttle-Centaur program was canceled following the loss of Challenger. Titan IV is the largest launch vehicle flying as of 2003. It is extremely expensive to operate.

The Titan I is the odd-duckling of the Titan family. It was the USs second ICBM project. It is a two-stage rocket powered by RP-1 and LOX. It was developed as an alternative or backup to the US's first ICBM, the Atlas. However it was quickly noticed that RP-1/LOX liquid rockets do not make very good missiles (they cannot be stored fueled) and was therefore quickly replaced by the somewhat better Titan II (a hypergolic rocket can be stored fueled). Titan II was, however, not a highly successful ICBM either. It was in turn quickly outpaced by the Minuteman solid fueled ICBM. Approximately 50 Titan IIs were fielded along with some 1000 Minutemen.

As of 2003 the end of the Titan family of rockets is in sight. Three Titan IVBs remain to be launched. No more have been ordered. The current owners of the Titan line (Lockheed-Martin) have decided to extend their Atlas family of rockets instead of the Titans. By 2005 the Titans will likely be extinct.

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