Titan IIID

SLV-5D Titan 3D

Mission Profile

Titan IIID was a two-to-three-stage American launch vehicle configured exclusively for the U.S. Air Force to deploy large reconnaissance and intelligence satellites to polar orbit. Standing 38.4 meters tall and weighing 626,000 kg at liftoff, it generated 10,680 kN of thrust from its twin UA1205 solid rocket motors and liquid-propellant core, delivering up to 12,340 kg to low Earth orbit. Active from 1971 to 1982, the Titan IIID flew all 22 of its missions from Vandenberg Air Force Base, serving as the dedicated launch vehicle for the KH-9 HEXAGON film-return reconnaissance satellite and early KH-11 KENNAN electro-optical intelligence satellites. Every Titan IIID mission was classified, reflecting its role at the heart of American national security space operations.