Titan II Dyna Soar Launch Vehicle

In 1959 the Glenn L. Martin Co. proposed improved version of the Titan I. The Air Force authorized Martin to proceed with the development of the Titan II ICBM in June 1960. The Titan II¨s principal advantage was the use of storable propellants, allowing launch in at a moments notice. Its 13 000 mile range allowed it to drop a thermonuclear warhead anywhere on the planet. The first Titan II flew succesfully on March 16, 1962. The Air Force mantained a Titan II force on alert from 1963 to 1987. Therefore during development the ICBM also had to be man-rated. This caused some difficulties, as a pogo problem encountered in flight tests was acceptable to the Air Force for a weapon system, but unacceptable to NASA for a manned booster. The problem was solved to NASA's satisfaction, and the Titan went on to a perfect launch record during the Gemini program. The first GLV flight on April 8, 1964 placed a preliminary version of a Gemini spacecraft into orbit. The Gemini program ended in November 1966 with the recovery of Gemini 12. This flight saw the end of the Titan II as a launch vehicle for 2 decades.