page_title: Star 48
section_title: Overview
hierarchical_section_title: Star 48 / Overview
caption_attribution_description: English: On 21 January 2001, a Delta 2 third stage, known as a PAM-D (Payload Assist Module - Delta), reentered the atmosphere over the Middle East. The titanium motor casing of the PAM-D, weighing about 70 kg, landed in Saudi Arabia about 240 km from the capital of Riyadh. Deutsch: Am 21. Januar 2001 stürzte ein 70 kg schweres Teil einer amerikanischen Delta-2-Oberstufe in Saudi Arabien, etwa 240 km von der Hauptstadt Riad entfernt, ab (NASA). Français&#160;: Le 21 janvier 2001, un 3ème étage de Delta 2, appelé PAM-D (Payload Assist Module - Delta), est rentré dans l'atmosphère au-dessus du Moyen Orient. L'enveloppe en titane du moteur du PAM-D, pesant environ 70 kg, atterrit en Arabie Saoudite à environ 240 km de la capitale Riyad. Español: El 21 de enero de 2001, la tercera etapa de Delta 2 llamada PAM-D (Payload Assist Module - Delta), entró en la atmósfera terrestre sobre Medio Oriente. La cubierta en titanio del motor del PAM-D, que pesaba alrededor de 70 kg, impactó en Arabia Saudita a aproximadamente 240 km de la capital Riyad.
context_page_description: Star 48 is a type of solid rocket motor used by many space propulsion and launch vehicle stages. It is used almost exclusively as an upper stage. It was developed primarily by Thiokol Propulsion, and is now manufactured by Orbital ATK, which purchased Thiokol in 2001. 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 now retired Delta II rocket.
  The Star 48 has been used as an upper stage in three- and four-stage launch systems.
context_section_description: The "48" designation refers to the approximate diameter of the fuel casing in inches; Thiokol had also manufactured other motors such as the Star 37 and Star 30.  Internally, Thiokol's designation was TE-M-711 for early versions, and TE-M-799 for later ones.  Subtypes are given one or more letter suffixes after the diameter number, or a trailing number (i.e., "-2") after the internal designation. Not surprisingly, the "T" prefix stands for Thiokol, and the following letter refers to the company division that developed the rocket motor. In this case, "E" refers to the Elkton, MD division and the "M" stands for motor.
  The most common use of the Star 48 was as the final stage of the Delta II launch vehicles.  Other launchers have also incorporated the motor, but with lower frequency.  In such usage, the complete stage (motor plus accessories) is referred to as the Payload Assist Module (PAM), as the Shuttle could only take satellites to low Earth orbit.  Because geostationary orbit is much more lucrative, the additional stage was needed for the final leg of the journey.  On such missions, the stage is spin-stabilized.  A turntable, mounted in the shuttle payload bay or atop the previous Delta stage, spun the PAM and payload to approximately 60 rpm prior to release.
  Usually after motor burnout and just prior to satellite release the PAM is de-spun using a yo-yo de-spin technique.
  A non-spinning, thrust-vectoring version of the Star 48 is available ("Star 48BV"), but much less common. A thrust-vectoring Star 48 is the final stage of the Minotaur IV+ launch vehicle.
  In 2013 a Star 48GXV was tested for the Solar Probe Plus mission (which later was renamed to the Parker Solar Probe).
  A Star 48BV was used in conjunction with a  Delta IV Heavy for the Parker Solar Probe launch in 2018.  
  A Star 48 motor used in the 3rd stage of the New Horizons probe was the first part of the New Horizons mission to reach Jupiter, arriving before the probe. It also crossed Pluto's orbit in 2015 at a distance of 200 million kilometers.
  A Star 48 Payload Assist Module that had been used to launch a GPS satellite in 1993, crashed in the Saudi Arabian desert in January 2001, after its orbit decayed.  The unit did not burn up on reentry and was positively identified on the ground.
caption: Saudi inspectors at the crash site of a Star-48 Payload Assist Module in January, 2001.
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