In December 1955, the Baltimore-based Martin Company was awarded the Titan contract.   The company soon merged with American-Marietta and on October 10, 1961, the Martin Marietta Corporation was officially formed.  The first Titan I was successfully launched February 6, 1959, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.  
 
By the mid-1960’s, the space race was in full throttle.  The Titan II was originally developed as a missile but heeding President Kennedy’s desire to explore space, the rocket was engineered to help take the first steps in exploring our universe.   The world watched on March 23, 1965, when the Gemini Titan, GT3, launched carrying Astronauts Gus Grissom and John Young into space.   In just two years, Titan II launched 12 Gemini missions that included the first American spacewalk, thefirst orbital change of a manned spacecraft, the first rendezvous and docking of two spacecraft and a new flight duration record.  
 
While Titan II was helping Americans explore space, Martin Marietta was working on the Titan III, designed to launch larger satellites for the Air Force.  Titan III included a family of more robust versions of the Titan rocket including Titan IIIC, Titan IIID and IIIE that featured two large solid-fueled rockets strapped to the core for lifting heavier payloads into orbit.  The Titan III, in all of its configurations, served the nation for 17 years delivering 110 spacecraft including the Viking missions to Mars.
 
In 1985, the heavy-lift Titan IV began production and comprised two versions - Titan IVA and Titan IVB.  At the time, the Titan IV was the largest, most powerful expendable launch vehicle and provided primary access to space for critical national security and civil payloads.  Launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., Titan IV successfullylaunched 35 missions and was retired in 2005.