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Boeing Successfully Launches Mammoth Delta-4 Heavy

Posted by timothy on from the yeah-it's-got-a-hemi dept.

nick-bts writes "CNN, the BBC and Space.com are reporting the first successful launch of the new Boeing Delta-4 Heavy, capable of lifting 23 tonnes into a low-Earth orbit (similar to the space shuttle). Personally I think the Ariane 5 and 'Satan' are way sexier..."

3 of 327 comments (clear)

  1. NOT successful by mOoZik · · Score: 5, Informative

    It was not completely successful. The two dummy satellites did not make it to orbit due to a problem with the first stage. You can read about it here: Boeing Rocket Launch

    --
    A blog like any other.
  2. Re:Delta-9 by thmclean · · Score: 5, Informative

    Delta-9 as in "Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol." Might have been a little to drug geeky for this crowd.

  3. Saturn 5 vs. Delta 4 Heavy by MufasaZX · · Score: 5, Informative

    To answer the obvious predictable question, no, the Delta IV Heavy doesn't even come close to the Saturn V. The Sat5 could heave 118,000kg into LEO, while the 3 booster D4H can only lift 22,000kg. There is talk of strapping on even more big candles to the D4, going up to as many as 7 main engines (the core and then 6 around it), but rough extrapolation would take that only to 51,333kg, far better than the shuttle but still a far cry from the awesome power of the Saturn V.