{{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 solid rocket boosters, manufactured by the Chemical Systems Division of United Aircraft (later United Technologies Corporation).<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.<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 with 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 (LITVC) system, with an external nacelle containing 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 or 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, 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 with '''UA1205''' solid rocket motors]] [[File:Artist's concept of Titan 34-D.jpeg|thumb|Titan 34D with '''UA1206''' solid rocket motors]] [[File:Titan IVA Centaur with Mercury ELINT spy satellite.jpg|thumb|Titan IV-A 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, Titan 23C, Titan IIID, and Titan IIIE rockets, besides being proposed for use on several derivatives of the Saturn rocket family, like the Saturn IB-D and MLV-V-4.<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 and 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.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> It was proposed for several other variants of Titan III and IV, as well as the Titan-IIIM, derivatives of the Saturn rocket family 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

==References== {{reflist}}

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

Category:Solid-fuel rockets