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Star 48
American solid rocket motor developed by Thiokol / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Star 48 is the largest of a family of solid rocket motors used by many space propulsion and launch vehicle stages, almost exclusively as an upper stage. It was developed primarily by Thiokol Propulsion and after several mergers, is manufactured by Northrop Grumman’s Space Systems division. A Star 48B stage is also one of the few man-made items sent on escape trajectories out of the Solar System, although it is derelict since its use. The Star 48B variant was the PAM-D upper stage used on the retired Delta II rocket.
Quick Facts Country of origin, Date ...
![]() Star-48B rocket motor | |
Country of origin | United States |
---|---|
Date | 1982–present |
Manufacturer | Thiokol |
Predecessor | Star 37 |
Solid-fuel motor |
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The Star 48 has been used as an upper stage in three- and four-stage launch systems.
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