Delta 3920

Thor-Delta 3920

Mission Profile

The Delta 3920 was a powerful American two-to-three-stage launch vehicle in the Thor-Delta family, featuring nine strap-on solid rocket boosters and an improved upper stage package for enhanced payload capacity compared to earlier Delta variants. Standing 35.4 m tall with a 2.4 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 204 tonnes, it generated 3,310 kN of combined liftoff thrust and could deliver 3,190 kg to low Earth orbit. First flown in July 1982, the Delta 3920 bridged the gap between earlier smaller Delta variants and the more capable Delta II that succeeded it in the late 1980s.