# UA120

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{{Short description|Family of American solid rocket boosters}}
thumb|upright=1.3|Schematic of the UA1205 and UA1207 boosters
'''UA120''' was a family of [American](/source/United_States) [solid rocket booster](/source/solid_rocket_booster)s, manufactured by the Chemical Systems Division of [United Aircraft](/source/United_Aircraft) (later [United Technologies Corporation](/source/United_Technologies)).<ref>{{Cite web |title=UA1200 |url=http://www.astronautix.com/u/ua1200.html |access-date=2024-10-05 |website=www.astronautix.com}}</ref> They were used as strap-on boosters for the [Titan rocket family](/source/Titan_(rocket_family)).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Titan Family |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_fam/titan.htm |access-date=2024-10-05 |website=Gunter's Space Page |language=en}}</ref> Several variants existed, with a varying number of segments.

==Design==
All versions of UA120 shared a common design, with the only significant differentiating factor being the length of the motor. It was a segmented design, with between five and seven motor segments possible. A solid propellant used was a [ammonium perchlorate composite propellant](/source/ammonium_perchlorate_composite_propellant) with [polybutadiene acrylonitrile](/source/polybutadiene_acrylonitrile) (PBAN) binder.<ref name="UA1205Astronautix" /> The stage had an external diameter of 120 inches.<ref name="perfImprovement" /> 

Attitude control in flight was provided by means of a liquid injection [thrust vector control](/source/thrust_vectoring) (LITVC) system, with an external nacelle containing [nitrogen tetroxide](/source/nitrogen_tetroxide) attached to the side of each booster.<ref name="perfImprovement" /> Solid fueled separation rockets, used to jettison the spent boosters, were affixed at the top and bottom of the stage.<ref name="perfImprovement" /> 

Thrust-termination capability, necessary for crewed rockets such as the [Space Shuttle](/source/Space_Shuttle) or [Manned Orbiting Laboratory](/source/Manned_Orbiting_Laboratory), was to be provided by two pyrotechnically triggered ports on the forward closure, which when opened would allow for the non-propulsive venting of exhaust gasses.<ref name="shuttleBoosters" /> 

The forward end of the stage contained an aerodynamic [nose cone](/source/nose_cone), an ignitor, separation rockets, and the forward attachment ring. The aft end contained additional separation rockets, the nozzle, and a heat shield.<ref name="perfImprovement" />

==Variants==
[[File:TitanIIIE booster.png|thumb|[Titan IIIE](/source/Titan_IIIE) with '''UA1205''' solid rocket motors]]
[[File:Artist's concept of Titan 34-D.jpeg|thumb|[Titan 34D](/source/Titan_34D) with '''UA1206''' solid rocket motors]]
[[File:Titan IVA Centaur with Mercury ELINT spy satellite.jpg|thumb|[Titan IV-A](/source/Titan_IV) with '''UA1207''' solid rocket motors]]
The overall design of each variant was very similar, the main difference being the number of segments used. This is indicated by the number at the end of each designation.

===UA1205===
UA1205 was flown between 1965 and 1982,<ref name="UA1205Astronautix" /> and used as a strap-on booster on the [Titan IIIC](/source/Titan_IIIC), [Titan 23C](/source/Titan_23C), [Titan IIID](/source/Titan_IIID), and [Titan IIIE](/source/Titan_IIIE) rockets, besides being proposed for use on several derivatives of the Saturn rocket family, like the [Saturn IB-D](/source/Saturn_IB-D) and [MLV-V-4](/source/Saturn_MLV).<ref name=UA1205Astronautix>{{cite web|url=http://www.astronautix.com/engines/ua1205.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020301085630/http://www.astronautix.com/engines/ua1205.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 1, 2002|title=UA1205|publisher=Astronautix|access-date=26 February 2016}}</ref><ref name=perfImprovement>{{cite web|url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19720007149.pdf|title=A STUDY OF PERFORMANCE AND COST IMPROVEMENT POTENTIAL OF THE 120-IN.- (3.05 M) DIAMETER SOLID ROCKET MOTOR|publisher=United Aircraft Corporation|date=December 1971|access-date=26 February 2016}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

===UA1206===
The UA1206 was flown between 1982 and 1992,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2002-02-08 |title=UA1206 |url=http://www.astronautix.com/engines/ua1206.htm |access-date=2024-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020208200749/http://www.astronautix.com/engines/ua1206.htm |archive-date=2002-02-08 }}</ref> and used as a strap-on booster on [Titan 34D](/source/Titan_34D) and [Commercial Titan III](/source/Commercial_Titan_III).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.astronautix.com/stages/tita1206.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020208201458/http://www.astronautix.com/stages/tita1206.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 8, 2002|title=Titan UA1206|publisher=Astronautix|access-date=26 February 2016}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

===UA1207===
UA1207 was first flown in 1989 and used on [Titan IV-A](/source/Titan_IV).<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> It was proposed for several other variants of Titan III and IV, as well as the [Titan-IIIM](/source/Titan_IIIM),  [derivatives of the Saturn rocket family](/source/Saturn_V_ELV) and the Space Shuttle.<ref name=perfImprovement /><ref name=shuttleBoosters>{{cite web|url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19720015135.pdf|title=Study of Solid Rocket Motors for a Space Shuttle Booster|publisher=United Technology Center|date=15 March 1972|access-date=26 February 2016}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=http://www.astronautix.com/engines/ua1207.htm|title=UA1207|publisher=Astronautix|access-date=26 February 2016|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000325/http://www.astronautix.com/engines/ua1207.htm|archivedate=4 March 2016}}</ref>

==See also==
* [Solid Rocket Motor Upgrade](/source/Solid_Rocket_Motor_Upgrade)

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Rocket engines}}
{{Titan rockets}}

Category:Solid-fuel rockets

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [UA120](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UA120) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UA120?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.