Lockheed Martin SLV-4/SLV-5/SB-4/SB-5/SB-6 Titan
The Titan launch vehicle was developed by the Martin Company (which in 1995 merged with Lockheed to become Lockheed Martin) as the SM-68 military intercontinental ballistic missile as a back-up to the SM-65 Atlas ICBM missile. Development was started in October 1955 when Martin was awarded a contract for the airframe design. As a missile it was designated as SM-68, HGM-25 and LGM-25. Towards the end of its military operational life, some of the missiles were refurbished as space launchers. This was in addition to some of the missiles that had been used earlier in a space launch function. Also, the missile formed the basis of a family of space launch vehicles.
In addition to the military missile designations, as described separately for HGM/LGM-25, the Titan launch vehicles also received military designations in the LV/SLV and SB series. These designations probably refer to the first stage only. The following table lists the known designations and the cross references to the launch vehicle types, however, there remain discrepancies in this list. It is probable that these designations were only used for flights carrying military satellites.
| Designation | Type |
|---|---|
| SLV-4 | Titan IIGLV |
| SLV-5 | Titan III |
| SLV-5A | Titan IIIA |
| SLV-5B | Titan IIIB |
| SLV-5C | Titan IIIC |
| SLV-5D | Titan IIID |
| SLV-5E | Titan IIIE |
| SB-4A | Titan IIG |
| SB-5A | Titan IV |
| SB-5B | Titan IVB |
| SB-6A | Titan 34D |
There is further confusion about the designations of the Titan launch vehicles themselves. Several reference sources use arabic numerals for the Titan I, Titan II, Titan III and Titan IV, rather than the roman numerals as used by military references as well as Lockheed Martin. But there are designations such as Titan 34D, which are 'legitimate' designations, as well as designations such as Titan 3(23)C, Titan 3(34)B Agena D etc, which indicate sub-versions in which the first digit indicates the stage stretch and the second digit the type of guidance system. Individual flights are identified by a letter/number combination in which the letter is a reference to the vehicle type. However, some individual flights are identified by two different numbers. In addition vehicles that have a military origin, have a military serial as well.
Titan I
In total 163 Titan I missiles were built of which 62 were built as research and development vehicles identified as:
- Lot A: 6 built: simplified first stage, dummy second stage and limited range
- Lot B: 7 built: complete first and second stages with reduced second stage engine duration, open and closed loop radio guidance
- Lot C: 6 built: complete first and second stages with reduced second stage engine duration, radio guidance, separable scale model re-entry vehicle
- Lot G: 10 built: complete two stage missile, closed loop radio guidance, separable re-entry vehicle, range up to 4000 nm
- Lot J (also AJ): 22 built: complete missile capable of flights up to 5000 nm, later missiles to carry operable re-entry vehicle and warhead without reactive materials
- Lot V: 4 built, as lot J with exception of instrumentation and range safety equipment to be used for tests at Vandenberg. Included VS-1
- Lot M: 7 built, a lot J but equipped with an inertial guidance system as a testbed for the Titan II guidance system.
In addition 101 operational missiles were built as part of the SM lot.
A total of 54 operational Titan Is were deployed at Lowry AFB (2 complexes), Mountain Home AFB, Beale AFB, Larson AFB and Ellsworth AFB. Each complex had 9 missiles in 3 structures with 3 missiles each. There was a test facility at Vandenberg whilst there were also test flights from Cape Canaveral.
The first flight of a Titan I missile took place on 6 February 1959 and 68 tests launches were conducted from Cape Canaveral as well as Vandenberg. Five of these launches have been identified as failures. The final launch was on 5 March 1965. Although it was at one stage proposed to mate the Titan I with a Vanguard rocket as upper stages for lunar orbital and surface landing mission, the Titan I was not used for space launches. The Titan I had a total length of 28.04 m.
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16.00 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet LR87-AJ-3 | Lox/Kerosene | 1,333,752 N |
| 2 | 9.80 m | 2.30 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-3 | Lox/Kerosene | 355,896 N |
Specifications for Titan I
Titan II
Although the Titan II was originally developed as a missile, it also had two careers as a space launch vehicle. In total 141 of the missiles were built of which 33 were for research and development purposes (identified as Lot N) whilst 108 operational missiles were built. A total of 54 operational Titan IIs were deployed in silos at Davis Monthan AFB, McConnell AFB and Little Rock AFB. Each site has 18 silos. There were also three silos at Vandenberg, used for test firings. As a missile the first launch took place on 16 March 1962 and 81 flights were conducted until 27 June 1976. Of these flights seven were considered as a failure. The basic Titan II had a total length of 33.20 m.
Between 8 April 1964 and 11 November 1966, the Titan II was also used as the launch vehicle for twelve flights in the Gemini programme. As the launch vehicle in this programme the vehicle was known as Titan IIGLV and was capable of placing a 3810 kg payload into low-Earth orbit.
 |
| Photo: Lockheed Martin |
| Titan II (SB-4A) |
On 5 September 1988 the first surplus and refurbished Titan II missile was used for a space launch and up to 31 December 2003 13 launches have been conducted, of which one failed. At total of 56 missiles were available for refurbishment although current plans concern only 14 missiles. Some of the launchers used parts of several missiles. These refurbished missiles are sometimes referred to as Titan 2, Titan 2G, Titan 23G or Titan 2(23)G whilst some of the launches carried an additional propulsion stage to place the satellite into a higher orbit. The refurbished launchers, which had a length of 31.40 m, were capable to place 2170 kg payloads into low-Earth orbit.
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21.40 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet LR87-AJ-7 | N2O4/Aerozine | 1,912,365 N |
| 2 | 7.90 m | 3.05 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-7 | N2O4/Aerozine | 444,835 N |
Specifications for Titan II
Titan IIIA
In 1962 the Titan IIIA (there was no Titan III as such) was selected by the US Air Force as its standard launch vehicle for military payloads. It differed from the Titan II by more powerful first and second stages as well as the addition of the Transtage (refer SSB-10) as a third stage. The vehicle had a length of up to 48.76 m, depending on the size of the payload carried, and was capable to place a payload of 2810 kg into a low-Earth orbit. It was used between 1 September 1964 and 6 May 1965 for four flights of which one failed.
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21.64 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet LR87-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 2,339,852 N |
| 2 | 7.90 m | 3.05 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 453,730 N |
| 3 | 4.60 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet AJ-10-138 | N2O4/Aerozine | 71,199 N |
Specifications for Titan IIIA
Titan IIIB
A further development was the Titan IIIB which used the Agena D upper stage instead of the Transtage. This combination is sometimes referred to as Titan III Agena D whilst in the early 1970s designations such as Titan 3(23), Titan 3(24), Titan 3(33), Titan 3(34) and Titan 34B were also used. The launch vehicle had a length of up to 48.76 m, depending on the size of the payload carried, and could place a payload of 3630 kg into a low-Earth orbit. The first flight was on 29 July 1966 and the 68th and last flight was on 12 February 1987. Of these four failed.
 |
| Photo: Author's collection |
| Titan IIIB |
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22.22 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet LR87-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 2,339,852 N |
| 2 | 7.50 m | 3.05 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 453,730 N |
| 3 | 6.31 m | 1.54 m | 1 Bell LR81-BA-9 | N2O4/UDMH | 71,100 N |
Specifications for Titan IIIB
Titan IIIBAS2
The Titan IIIBAS2 was a mid 1960 proposal for a Titan IIIB with two strap-ons, a Centaur D/E third stage and a Burner 2 fourth stage. It was to be used for deep space missions but development was not proceeded with.
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | --- | --- | 2 Algol 2 | solid | 564,265 N each |
| 1 | 22.22 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet LR87-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 2,339,852 N |
| 2 | 7.50 m | 3.05 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 453,730 N |
| 3 | 9.60 m | 3.05 m | 2 P&W RL-10A-3-1 or -3 | Lox/LH2 | 131,227 N |
| 4 | 0.80 m | 0.70 m | 1Thiokol Star 37 | solid | 43,553 N |
Specifications for Titan IIIBAS2
Titan IIIC
The next version was the Titan IIIC which was basically similar to the Titan IIIA but with the addition of two United Technologies 1205 solid fuelled boosters to the first stage. These boosters had a length of 25.90 m and a diameter of 3.05 m whilst the launch vehicle's total length was 35.05 m, depending on the payload carried. Initially proposed to be used with the X-20 Dyna Soar, this configuration was capable to place a payload of 13,150 kg into low-Earth orbit. It was used between 18 June 1965 and 6 March 1982. Of the 36 flights 2 failed. During the 1970s the launch vehicle was also referred to as Titan 3(23)C. The vehicle had a length of up to 48.76 m, depending on the size of the payload carried.
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | --- | --- | 2 United Tech 1205 | solid | 5,849,620 N each |
| 1 | 22.22 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet LR87-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 2,339,852 N |
| 2 | 7.50 m | 3.05 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 453,730 N |
| 3 | 4.60 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet AJ-10-138 | N2O4/Aerozine | 71,199 N |
Specifications for Titan IIIC
Titan IIIC7
The Titan IIIC7 was a 1965 proposal that would use a lengthened Transtage third stage with as well as upgraded solid boosters with a length of 34.10 m. The version was not further developed.
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | --- | --- | 2 United Tech 1207 | solid | 7,117,725 N each |
| 1 | 22.22 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet LR87-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 2,339,852 N |
| 2 | 7.50 m | 3.05 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 453,730 N |
| 3 | 5.30 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet AJ-10-138 | N2O4/Aerozine | 71,199 N |
Specifications for Titan IIIC7
Titan IIID
The Titan IIID was similar to the Titan IIIC but with the deletion of the Transtage upper stage. It is, however, believed that some Titan IIID vehicles were used with an additional Agena D upper stage. In this configuration, the vehicle was capable to place 12,300 kg into a low-Earth orbit. It had a length of up to 48.76 m, depending on the size of the payload carried. The vehicle was used 24 times between 15 June 1971 and 28 August 1985. Of these one was a failure.
 |
| Photo: Author's collection |
| Titan IIID |
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | --- | --- | 2 United Tech 1205 | solid | 5,849,620 N each |
| 1 | 22.22 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet LR87-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 2,339,852 N |
| 2 | 7.50 m | 3.05 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 453,730 N |
Specifications for Titan IIID
Titan IIIE
The Titan IIIE was built specifically for NASA as a launch vehicle for its deep space missions. The first two stages were identical to the Titan IIIC. On top of this was a third stage consisting of a Centaur D1T upper stage. This stage developed a thrust of 133,375 N. For the two Helios missions in 1974 and 1976, a further stage was added which was propelled by a Thiokol TE-M-364-4 solid fuelled motor. The length of the four stage launch vehicle was up to 48.76 m, depending on the payload it carried and it had a capability to place payload of up to 15,400 kg into orbit. Seven flights were conducted between 11 February 1974 and 5 September 1977, of which one failed.
 |
| Photo: Author's collection |
| Titan IIIE |
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | --- | --- | 2 United Tech 1205 | solid | 5,849,620 N each |
| 1 | 22.22 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet LR87-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 2,339,852 N |
| 2 | 7.50 m | 3.05 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 453,730 N |
| 3 | 9.60 m | 3.05 m | 2 P&W RL-10A-3-3 | Lox/LH2 | 131,227 N |
Specifications for Titan IIIE
Titan IIIL
The Titan IIIL was a mid-1960s proposal for a launcher to place heavy payloads into low-Earth orbit. Its principal feature was a larger diameter first stage to accommodate four engines rather than two. A version with four strap-ons was also considered. Neither version proceeded beyond the early design stage as there were no perceived payloads that required these launch vehicles.
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | --- | --- | 2 United Tech 1207 | solid | 7,117,725 N each |
| 1 | 29.90 m | 4.88 m | 4 Aerojet LR87-AJ-7 | N2O4/Aerozine | 4,334,618 N |
| 2 | 13.40 m | 4.88 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-7 | N2O4/Aerozine | 444,835 N |
| 3 | 9.60 m | 3.05 m | 2 P&W RL-10A-3-1 or -3 | Lox/LH2 | 131,227 N |
Specifications for Titan IIIL
Titan IIIM
A Titan IIIM vehicle, which was to have larger solid fuelled boosters, was intended to be used in conjunction with the Manned Orbital Laboratory (MOL) programme. It was cancelled in 1969, by which time only the first and second stages had undergone static tests. The launch vehicle was to have a length of app. 39 m and a capability to place a 9100 kg payload into low-Earth orbit.
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | --- | --- | 2 United Tech 1207 | solid | 7,117,725 N each |
| 1 | 24.00 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet LR87-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 2,339,852 N |
| 2 | 8.60 m | 3.05 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 453,730 N |
Specifications for Titan IIIM
Titan 34D
A further development of the Titan III family of launchers was the Titan 34D, which used 27.60 m long strap-ons and the first and second stages of the Titan IIIC launch vehicle and combined this with the Boeing developed Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) (refer SSB-7A), which was propelled by a United Technologies solid fuelled motor or a Martin Marietta Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS). This was topped with an IUS-2 as the fourth stage. Some flights also included the Transtage of the Titan IIIC. The length of this combination was 48.76 m, depending on the size of the payload carried. Being capable of placing payloads of 14,515 kg into low-Earth orbit, the first flight was on 30 October 1982. The thirteenth and last flight was on 4 September 1989. One of these was a failure.
 |
| Photo: Author's collection |
| Titan 34D (SB-6A) |
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | --- | --- | 2 United Tech 1206 | solid | 6,227,219 N each |
| 1 | 23.77 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet LR87-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 2,339,852 N |
| 2 | 8.60 m | 3.05 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 453,730 N |
| 3 | various | ||||
| 4 | 2.10 m | 1.60 m | 1 United Tech Orbus 6 | solid | 78,416 N |
Specifications for Titan 34D
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust | Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IUS | 3.50 m | 2.30 m | 1 United Tech Orbus-21 + 1 United Tech Orbus 6E | solid | 173,500 N + 74,730 N |
1 |
| TOS | 4.60 m | 2.30 m | 1 SRM | solid | 185,107 N | 12 |
Titan 34D Upper Stages
Commercial Titan 3
In the early 1990s Martin Marietta identified four launch vehicles as Commercial Titan 3. The flights were between 1 January 1990 and 25 September 1992. It was an upgraded version of the Titan 34D intended to be fitted with a Transtage, IUS (refer SSB-7A), PAM-D2 (refer SSB-9A) or the Martin Marietta Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS) upper stage. The length of this combination was 48.76 m, depending on the size of the payload carried. It was capable of placing 14,500 kg into a low-Earth orbit.
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | --- | --- | 2 United Tech 1206 | solid | 6,227,219 N each |
| 1 | 23.77 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet LR87-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 2,339,852 N |
| 2 | 8.60 m | 3.05 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 453,730 N |
| 3 | various | ||||
Specifications for Commercial Titan 3
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust | Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transtage | 4.60 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet AJ-10-138A | N2O4/Aerozine | 71,110N | 0 |
| IUS | 3.50 m | 2.30 m | 1 United Tech Orbus-21 + 1 United Tech Orbus 6E | solid | 173,500 N + 74,730 N | 2 |
| PAM-D2 | 1.80 m | 1.60 m | 1 Thiokol Star 63F | solid | 107,200 N | 1 |
| TOS | 4.60 m | 2.30 m | 1 SRM | solid | 185,107 N | 1 |
Commercial Titan 3 Upper Stages
Titan IV
An improved version, designated as Titan IV but also Titan 4, has been procured by the US Air Force and comes in various versions. The 'A' version was fitted with 2 United Technology 1207 strap-on boosters which had a length of 34.10 m, a diameter of 3.05 m and produced a thrust of 7,117,725 N each. The 'B' version was fitted with 2 Hercules SRMU strap-ons with a length of 33.50 m and a diameter of 3.20 m, producing a thrust of 7,562,000 N each. The length of the Titan IV was up to 62.80 m, depending on the configuration and the payload carried. The payload fairings varied from 17.10 m to 26.20 m in length and were up to 4.27 m in diameter. The last flight was on 19 October 2005.
 |
| Photo: Author's collection |
| Titan IV (SB-5A) |
The Titan 401 version combined the first two stages of the Titan vehicle with boosters with a Centaur T upper stage. Payloads up to 21,830 kg could be placed into low-Earth orbit. The Titan 401A flew for the first time on 7 February 1994 and nine flights were conducted of which one failed. The last flight was on 12 August 1998. The Titan 401B was used for the first time on 15 October 1997. Seven flight were conducted, the last one on 9 September 2003.
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | --- | --- | 2 various | ||
| 1 | 26.40 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet LR87-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 2,428,400 N |
| 2 | 9.90 m | 3.05 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 459,526 N |
| 3 | 9.00 m | 4.30 m | 2 P&W RL-10A-3A | Lox/LH | 146,810 N |
Specifications for Titan 401
 |
| Photo: Lockheed Martin |
| Titan IVB (SB-5B) |
The Titan 402 version used the Boeing IUS as the upper stage and was launched from Cape Canaveral to place 17,700 kg into a low-Earth orbit. The first Titan 402A flight was on 14 June 1989 and three were made, with the last one on 22 December 1994. The first Titan 402B was launched on 24 February 1997 and five had been launched with the last one on 14 February 2004.
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | --- | --- | 2 various | ||
| 1 | 26.40 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet LR87-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 2,428,400 N |
| 2 | 9.90 m | 3.05 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 459,526 N |
| 3 | 3.50 m | 2.30 m | 1 United Tech Orbus-21 + 1 United Tech Orbus 6E | solid | 173,500 N + 74,730 N |
Specifications for Titan 402
The Titan 403 did not carry an upper stage but had Hercules strap-on boosters instead. Titan 403 was a Titan 4 with no upper stage (NUS) launched from Vandenberg AFB. It had a 20.10 m payload fairing and was able to put a 14,685 kg into a low-Earth orbit from Vandenberg. Five Titan 403A flights were made between 8 March 1991 and 24 October 1997 of which one failed. The only two Titan 403B flights were on 17 August 2000 and 30 April 2005.
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | --- | --- | 2 various | ||
| 1 | 26.40 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet LR87-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 2,428,400 N |
| 2 | 9.90 m | 3.05 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 459,526 N |
Specifications for Titan 403
The Titan 404 was a configuration with no upper stage to be launched from Vandenberg. The payload fairing size and orbital parameters are secret. Payload capacity is 13,600 kg into low-Earth orbit. Three Titan 404As were launched between 28 November 1992 and 20 December 1996. The first of three Titan 404B flights was on 22 May 1992, with the last one on 19 October 2005.
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | --- | --- | 2 various | ||
| 1 | 26.40 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet LR87-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 2,428,400 N |
| 2 | 9.90 m | 3.05 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 459,526 N |
Specifications for Titan 404
The Titan 405 was similar to the Titan 403 but was launched from Canaveral. Two Titan 405A flights were conducted on 8 June 1990 and 3 July 1996. The Titan 405B version was never flown.
| Stage | Length | Diameter | Engine | Fuel | Thrust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | --- | --- | 2 various | ||
| 1 | 26.40 m | 3.05 m | 2 Aerojet LR87-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 2,428,400 N |
| 2 | 9.90 m | 3.05 m | 1 Aerojet LR91-AJ-11 | N2O4/Aerozine | 459,526 N |
Specifications for Titan 405
Titan 5
The Titan 5 was a proposal for a development with an improved first stage with a Pratt & Whitney engine with a thrust of 445,728 N. No other details are known as the development was not proceeded with.
Back to Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 3
Last Updated: 21 January 2006