IUS top stage | 
USA | 
First flight: 30-Oct-1982 
Number flown: 19, through 
Mar-1996 (Boeing acknowledges only 17) 
Principal uses: Shuttle, Titan 
34D, Titan 4, Titan 3 
Vehicle Success rate: 94.4% through Mar-1996 
Performance: (motors can be offloaded 0-50%, vehicle sized for up to 
3,600 kg payloads, but 7,200 kg possible with modifications) 
GEO: 2,268 kg 
(Shuttle), 1,817 kg (Titan 34D), 2,364 kg (Titan 4 with SRM strap-ons), 2,860 kg 
(Titan 4B with SRMU strap-ons) 
GTO: 4,944 kg (using payload for apogee kick 
into GEO) 
Polar (96o, 24 h): 1,860 kg from 57o Cape 
Canaveral orbit 
Molniya (925 x 39,450 km, 63o, 12 h): 3,645 kg 
(T4 SRM via 185 km, 55o), 3,866 kg (T4 SRM via 185 km, 
57o), 4,189 kg (T4 SRM via 185 km, 635o), 4,933 kg (T4 
SRMU via 185 km, 55o), 5,253 kg (T4B SRMU via 185 km, 57o) 
Escape: 820 kg for C3 of 60 km2/s2, 3,550 
kg for 7.0 km2/s2 
Number of stages: 2 solid 
Overall length: 5.17 m 
Principal diameter: 2.9 m 
Mass (excluding payload): 14,760 kg (Shuttle version), 13,100 kg 
(Titan 34D) 
IUS MOTORS 
IUS incorporates two CSD solid propellant motors. On a 
typical GEO mission, the larger SRM-1 performs GTO injection, followed by SRM-2 
insertion into GEO. Thrust vector pitch/yaw control is provided by the nozzles 
moving on a Techroll joint pressurization by silicon oil under the action of 
electro-mechanical actuators; SRM-1 can gimbal 4o, SRM-2 
7o. Variations in mission requirements are accommodated by propellant 
offloading of up to 50%. SRM-2 can be flown without its Extendible Exit Cone 
(EEC), resulting in a reduced specific impulse. 
IUS SRM-1 STAGE 1 
Length: 3.52 m 
Diameter: 2.34 
m 
Propellant mass: 4,853-9,709 kg 
Thrust: 185.1 kN vac 
average 
Specific impulse: 295.5 s 
Burn time: 152 s, 100% 
loading 
IUS SRM-2 STAGE 2 
Length: 2.08 m without nozzle extension 
Diameter: 1.61 m 
Propellant mass: 1,361-2,749 kg 
Thrust: 78.41 kN vac average 
Specific impulse: 289.1 s vac 
(without EEC), 303.5 s vac (with EEC) 
Burn time: 103.35 s, 100% 
loading 
IUS INTERSTAGE & ESS 
An aluminum skin stringer interstage 
connects the SRM-1 to the Equipment Support System (ESS), which houses SRM-2, 
most of the avionics and the payload interfaces (3.05 m diameter payload 
mounting ring and electrical connectors). The eight longerons on the aluminum 
skin stringer ESS assembly provide primary load paths and the spacecraft attach 
points. 
REACTION CONTROL SUBSYSTEM 
Six modules each with two Kaiser 
Marquardt 133 N hydrazine thrusters provide roll control during main motor 
burns, 3-axis control during coast periods, vernier orbit corrections after 
SRM-2 burnout, and collision avoidance maneuvers after payload separation. The 
configuration provides dual-nozzle redundancy and there are no forward-facing 
thrusters to avoid payload contamination. Two tanks hold a total of 109 kg of 
hydrazine but one and three tank versions are possible. RCS burns to depletion 
after payload release in order to remove IUS as far as possible from GEO. 
IUS/PAYLOAD DEPLOYMENT 
On Shuttle missions, the IUS/Payload is 
spring released from the ASE titled at 58o. The RCS does not activate 
until 10 min later at a separation of about 60 m. SRM-1 ignition does not occur 
for a further 50 min until the Orbiter is some 18 km distant. 
CSD ORBUS UPPER STAGE MOTORS 
United Technologies Chemical Systems Divison's (CSD) Orbus upper stage family includes Orbus 6/6E/21 (IUS), Orbus 7S (JCSat), Orbus 21S (Intelsat 6), Orbus 21 (TOS), Orbus 21D (LMLV launcher) and Orbus 1 (STARS and Starbird upper stage). The numerical designator corresponds to propellant mass to the nearest 1,000 lb, S denotes spin stabilisation and E the use of an extending exit nozzle (EEC) system.
ORBUS 21 
Applications: IUS stage 1 motor, TOS 
motor, Intelsat 6 perigee boost motor, LMLV stage 2 
First flown: 
30-Oct-1982 
Number flown: 20 (some classified) on IUS, 2 TOS, 6 
Intelsat, 1 LMLV, through 1995 
Length: 3.15 m (3.17 m 21D) 
Maximum diameter: 2.34 m 
Mass: 10,398 kg fully loaded 
(10,619 kg 21D); 639 kg burnout (780 kg 21D) 
Propellant 
    type: 86% solids HTPB UTP-19360A 
    shape: based on 52 cm diameter bore 
    mass fraction: 0.935 fully loaded (0.941 for 21S 
without TVC system), 0.47 max 50% offloading (0.921 fully loaded, 0.457 max 
offloading for 21D) 
Propellant mass: 4,853-9,709 kg (4,583-9,779 kg 
21D) 
Burn time: 154 s (146 s 21D) 
Thrust: 195.7 kN vac 
average, 267.77 kN vac peak (192.4 kN vac average 21D) 
Specific 
impulse: 295.5 s vac (293.5 s vac 21D) 
Total impulse: 28.38 MNs 
vac (28.14 MNs vac 21D) 
Expansion ratio: 63.9:1 
Pressure: 
57.9 atm max 
Thrust vector control: +/-4o TVC (up to 
20o/s) provided by battery-powered orthogonal electromechanical 
actuators and Techroll movable nozzle joint pressurized by silicon oil; system 
mass 22.4 kg 
ORBUS 6/6E 
Applications: IUS stage 2 motor 
First flown: 30-Oct-1982 
Number flown: 20 (some 
classified) on IUS to end-1995 
Length: 1.98 m with EEC stowed, 3.20 m 
EEC deployed 
Maximum diameter: 1.60 m 
Mass: 3,018/2,749 kg 
fully loaded with/without EEC 
Propellant 
    
type: 86% solids HTPB UTP-19360A 
    shape: 
cylindrical 
    mass fraction: 0.902/0.914 
with/without EEC fully loaded (0.921 without TVC system), 0.45 with max 50% 
offloading 
Burn time: 103 s fully loaded 
Thrust: 80.95 kN 
vac average, 113.87 kN vac peak 
Specific impulse: 303.5/289.1 s vac 
with/without EEC 
Total impulse: 8.14 MNs vac 
Expansion 
ratio: 181.1/47.3 with/without EEC 
Pressure: 57.1 atm max 
Thrust vector control: as Orbus 21 but 7o 
IUS-launches 
| Total Nr | Type Nr | Launch Vehicle | Serial Nr | Launch Date | Launch Site | ID Year | Payload | Comment | 
| 292 | 1 | Titan-34D/ IUS | 34D-1 | 30/10/1982 | CC, LC-40 | 1982-106 | DSCS-2 15 | |
| 314 | 1 | Titan-4(02)A IUS | K-1/IUS-8 | 14/06/1989 | CC, LC-41 | 1989-046 | DSP 14 | |
| 321 | 2 | Titan-4(02)A IUS | K-6/IUS-6 | 13/11/1990 | CC, LC-41 | 1990-095 | DSP 15 | |
| 333 | 3 | Titan-4(02)A IUS | K-14/IUS-20 | 22/12/1994 | CC, LC-40 | 1994-084 | DSP 17 | |
| 342 | 1 | Titan-4(02)B IUS | B-24/IUS-4 | 24/02/1997 | CC, LC-40 | 1997-008 | DSP 18 | |
| 350 | 2 | Titan-4(02)B IUS | B-27/IUS-21 | 9/04/1999 | CC, LC-41 | 1999-017 | DSP 19 | |
| 355 | 3 | Titan-4(02)B IUS | B-29/IUS-22 | 8/05/2000 | CC, LC-40 | 2000-024 | DSP 20 | |
| 359 | 4 | Titan-4(02)B IUS | B-31/IUS-16 | 6/08/2001 | CC, SLC-40 | 2001-033 | DSP 21 | |
| 367 | 5 | Titan-4(02)B IUS | B-39/IUS-10 | 14/02/2004 | CC, SLC-40 | 2004-004 | DSP 3-9 | 
| Ref.: #0 - update: 13.07.25 | Home |