List of Delta III launches explained

Delta III was an expendable launch vehicle made by Boeing. The first Delta III launch was on August 26, 1998.^[1] Of its three flights, the first two were failures, and the third, though declared successful, reached the low end of its targeted orbit range and carried only a dummy (inert) payload. The Delta III could deliver up to 8,400 pounds (3,800 kilograms) to geostationary transfer orbit, twice the payload of its predecessor, the Delta II.^[2] Under the four-digit designation system from earlier Delta rockets, the Delta III is classified as the Delta 8930.

Launch history

Flight Number	Date / time (UTC)	Rocket Configuration	Launch site	Payload	Payload mass	Orbit	Customer	Launch outcome
1	August 27, 1998 01:17	Delta III 8930	CCAFS SLC-17B	Galaxy 10		GTO	PanAmSat / Intelsat
	Maiden flight of Delta III. Destroyed by range safety after control problems and depletion of hydraulic fluid. Communications satellite.
2	May 5, 1999 01:00	Delta III 8930	CCAFS SLC-17B	Orion 3		GTO	Loral	^[3]
	Second stage engine failure. Payload placed in low Earth orbit, declared too low and Loral called satellite lost. Communications satellite.
3	August 23, 2000 11:05	Delta III 8930	CCAFS SLC-17B	DM-F3		GTO	US Air Force	^[4]
	Reached lower than planned orbit. Final flight of Delta III. Payload was a DemoSat.

Notes and References

1. Delta III Takes a Dip. WIRED. 2018-10-24. en-US.
2. Web site: Delta III Launch Vehicle. 2001. https://web.archive.org/web/20011114221110/http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/delta/delta3/delta3.htm. November 14, 2001.
3. Web site: Orion 3 at 139° East (Launch failure) . 7 September 2022.
4. Web site: Delta 3 rocket falls short but still a success, Boeing says. August 24, 2000. Spaceflight Now.