Minotaur (rocket family)
The Minotaur is a family of United States solid fuel launch vehicles derived from converted Minuteman and Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). They are built by Northrop Grumman via contract with the Space Force’s Space Systems Command as part of the Space Force's Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP) which converts retired Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles into space and test launch systems for U.S. government agencies.
Three variants of the Minotaur are currently in service. The Minotaur I is an orbital launch system used to launch small satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO). The Minotaur II is a target launch vehicle (TLV), also known as Chimera, used for suborbital flights, often as a target for tracking and anti-ballistic missile tests. The Minotaur IV is a more capable LEO launch system. The Minotaur V is designed to reach higher orbits, including geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) and trans-lunar trajectories. The Minotaur III is a version under development, which will be used for suborbital flights.
The Minotaur I and II are derived from the Minuteman missile, while the Minotaur III, IV and V are derived from the Peacekeeper.
Vehicles edit
Minotaur-C (Taurus) edit
The Taurus launch vehicle, later renamed [1] Minotaur-C (for "Minotaur-Commercial"), was the first of the Minotaur vehicle family, and the first ground-launched orbital booster developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC), derived by adding a solid booster stage to the air-launched Pegasus rocket.
The first flight, sponsored by DARPA, was in 1994. After a series of failures between 2001 and 2011, the launch vehicle was rebranded as Minotaur-C in 2014. Due to laws against selling government equipment, the Minotaur-C is the only available Minotaur launch vehicle for commercial launches.[citation needed]
Minotaur I edit
The original Minotaur launch vehicle, consisting of an M55A1 first stage, SR19 second stage, Orion 50XL third stage, Orion 38 fourth stage, and optional HAPS fifth stage for velocity trim and multiple payload deployment. Payload 580 kg to a 185 km, 28.5° orbit from Cape Canaveral; or 310 kg to a 740 km Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) from Vandenberg.[2]
Minotaur II edit
A suborbital target vehicle, essentially consisting of a Minuteman II with Orbital guidance and control systems. Consists of M55A1 first stage, SR19 second stage, and M57 third stage. Payload 460 kg on 6700 km suborbital trajectory.[2]
Minotaur III edit
A suborbital target vehicle, consisting of an SR118 first stage, SR119 second stage, SR120 third stage, and Super HAPS fourth stage. Payload 3060 kg on a 6700 km suborbital trajectory.[2]
Minotaur IV edit
The Minotaur IV combines U.S. government-furnished solid rocket motors from decommissioned Peacekeeper ICBMs with technologies from other Orbital-built launch vehicles, including the Minotaur I, Pegasus, and Taurus. The Minotaur IV launch vehicle consists of an SR118 first stage, SR119 second stage, SR120 third stage, and Orion 38 fourth stage. Payload 1735 kg to a 185 km, 28.5° orbit from Cape Canaveral.
The first Minotaur IV was launched 22 April 2010 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.[3] This vehicle is also being developed to accommodate the Conventional Prompt Global Strike (CPGS) mission for the Air Force.
Minotaur V edit
The Minotaur V is a five-stage version based on the Minotaur IV+. It has an additional upper stage for small geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), lunar, and interplanetary missions.
NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission was launched on the first Minotaur V, from the Wallops Island, Virginia launch site at 03:27 UTC on 7 September 2013. The Minotaur launched the LADEE spacecraft into a highly elliptic orbit where it can phase and time its trajectory burn to the moon.[4]
Minotaur VI edit
A Minotaur VI five-stage version has also been conceptualized. It is also based on the Minotaur IV+, adding a second SR-118 first stage.[5]
Launch statistics edit
Rocket configurations edit
- Taurus/Minotaur-C
- Minotaur I
- Minotaur II
- Minotaur II+
- Minotaur IV
- Minotaur IV Lite
- Minotaur IV HAPS
- Minotaur IV+
- Minotaur V
Launch sites edit
- Vandenberg LF-06
- Vandenberg SLC-8
- Vandenberg SLC-576E
- Vandenberg TP-01
- Kodiak LP-1
- MARS LP-0B
- Cape Canaveral SLC-46
Launch outcomes edit
- Success
- Failure
- Planned
Launch history edit
1994 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 13, 1994 22:32 | Taurus/Minotaur-C (ARPA Taurus) | VAFB, SLC-576E | STEP Mission 0 and DARPASAT | USAF/DARPA[6][7] | Success | ||
1998 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 2 | February 10, 1998 13:20 | Taurus/Minotaur-C (Commercial Taurus configuration) | VAFB SLC-576E | GFO and Orbcomm (satellites 11,12) | Success | |||
| 3 | October 3, 1998 10:04 | Taurus/Minotaur-C (Air Force Taurus Configuration) | VAFB SLC-576E | Space Technology Experiment (STEX) | NRO | Success | ||
1999 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 4 | December 21, 1999 07:13 | Taurus/Minotaur-C (Model 2110) | VAFB SLC-576E | KOMPSAT and ACRIMSAT | Success | |||
2000 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 1 | January 27, 2000 03:03:06 | Minotaur I | Vandenberg SLC-8 | JAWSat (P98-1) (FalconSat1 / ASUSat1 / OCSE / OPAL) | LEO | Success | ||
| 5 | March 12, 2000 09:29 | Taurus/Minotaur-C (Air Force Taurus Configuration) | VAFB SLC-576E | Multispectral Thermal Imager (MTI) | Success | |||
| 1 | May 28, 2000 20:00 | Minotaur II | Vandenberg LF-06 | OSP-TLV Missile Defense Technology Demonstrator | Suborbital | Success | ||
| 2 | July 19, 2000 20:09:00 | Minotaur I | Vandenberg SLC-8 | MightySat II.1 (Sindri, P99-1) / MEMS 2A / MEMS 2B | LEO | Success | ||
2001 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 6 | September 21, 2001 18:49 | Taurus/Minotaur-C (Model 2110) | VAFB SLC-576E | Orbview-4/QuikTOMS | Failure | |||
| 2 | December 4, 2001 04:59 | Minotaur II | Vandenberg LF-06 | TLV-1 IFT-7 GMDS target mission | Suborbital | Success | ||
2002 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 3 | March 16, 2002 02:11 | Minotaur II | Vandenberg LF-06 | TLV-2 IFT-8 GMDS target mission | Suborbital | Success | ||
| 4 | October 15, 2002 02:01 | Minotaur II | Vandenberg LF-06 | TLV-3 GMDS target mission | Suborbital | Success | ||
| 5 | December 11, 2002 08:26 | Minotaur II | Vandenberg LF-06 | TLV-4 GMDS target mission | Suborbital | Success | ||
2004 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 7 | May 20, 2004 17:47 | Taurus/Minotaur-C (Model 3210) | VAFB SLC-576E | ROCSAT-2 | Success | |||
2005 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 3 | April 11, 2005 13:35:00 | Minotaur I | Vandenberg SLC-8 | XSS-11 | LEO | Success | ||
| 4 | September 22, 2005 19:24:00 | Minotaur I | Vandenberg SLC-8 | Streak (STP-R1) | LEO | Success | ||
2006 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 5 | April 15, 2006 01:40:00 | Minotaur I | Vandenberg SLC-8 | COSMIC (FORMOSAT-3) | LEO | Success | ||
| 6 | December 16, 2006 12:00 | Minotaur I | MARS LP-0B | TacSat-2 / GeneSat-1 | LEO | Success | ||
2007 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 6 | March 21, 2007 04:27 | Minotaur II | Vandenberg LF-06 | TLV-5 FTX-02 SBR target mission | Suborbital | Success | ||
| 7 | April 24, 2007 06:48 | Minotaur I | MARS LP-0B | NFIRE | LEO | Success | ||
| 7 | August 23, 2007 08:30 | Minotaur II+ | Vandenberg LF-06 | TLV-7 Mission 2a sensor target for NFIRE satellite | Suborbital | Success | ||
2008 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 8 | September 24, 2008 06:57 | Minotaur II+ | Vandenberg LF-06 | TLV-8 Mission 2b sensor target for NFIRE satellite | Suborbital | Success | ||
2009 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 8 | February 24, 2009 09:55 | Taurus/Minotaur-C (Model 3110) | VAFB SLC-576E | Orbiting Carbon Observatory[8] | Failure | |||
| 8 | May 19, 2009 23:55 | Minotaur I | MARS LP-0B | TacSat-3 / PharmaSat / AeroCube 3 / HawkSat I / CP6 | LEO | Success | ||
2010 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 1 | April 22, 2010 23:00 | Minotaur IV Lite | Vandenberg SLC-8 | HTV-2a hypersonic research spacecraft | Suborbital | Success | ||
| 2 | September 26, 2010 04:41 | Minotaur IV | Vandenberg SLC-8 | SBSS | SSO | Success | ||
| 3 | November 20, 2010 01:25 | Minotaur IV HAPS | Kodiak LP-1 | STP-S26 (FASTRAC-A / FASTRAC-B / FalconSat-5 / FASTSAT / O/OREOS / RAX) | LEO | Success | ||
2011 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 9 | February 6, 2011 12:26 | Minotaur I | Vandenberg SLC-8 | NROL-66 | LEO | Success | ||
| 9 | March 4, 2011 10:09 | Taurus/Minotaur-C (Model 3110) | VAFB SLC-576E | Glory, KySat-1, Hermes, and Explorer-1 [PRIME] | Failure[9] | |||
| 10 | June 30, 2011 03:09 | Minotaur I | MARS LP-0B | ORS-1 | LEO | Success | ||
| 4 | August 11, 2011 14:45 | Minotaur IV Lite | Vandenberg Air Force Base | Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2b) | Suborbital | Success | ||
| 5 | September 27, 2011 15:49 | Minotaur IV+ | Kodiak LP-1 | TacSat-4 | MEO | Success | ||
2013 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 1 | September 7, 2013 03:27 | Minotaur V | MARS LP-0B | LADEE | HEO | Success | ||
| 11 | November 20, 2013 01:15 | Minotaur I | MARS LP-0B | ORS-3 (STPSat-3 along with 28 additional cubesats) | LEO | Success[10][11] | ||
2017 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 6 | August 26, 2017 06:04 | Minotaur IV | CCAFS, SLC-46 | ORS-5 | LEO | Success | ||
| 10 | October 31, 2017 21:37 | Minotaur-C (Model 3210) | VAFB SLC-576E | SkySat × 6, Flock-3m × 4 | Success | |||
2020 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 7 | July 15, 2020 13:46 | Minotaur IV | MARS, LP-0B | NROL-129 (USA 305 to USA 308)[12] | LEO | NRO | Success | |
2021 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 12 | June 15, 2021 13:35[13] | Minotaur I | MARS, LP-0B | NROL-111 (USA 316 to USA 318)[14] | LEO | NRO | Success | |
2022 edit | ||||||||
| Flight № | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
| 9 | July 7, 2022 06:01[15] | Minotaur II+ | VSFB, TP-01 | Mk21A reentry vehicle[16] | Suborbital | AFNWC | Failure | |
Planned launches edit
See also edit
- Dnepr, a converted Soviet ICBM often used for commercial satellite launches
- Minotaur-C, the vehicle formerly known as Taurus
- Modified Minotaur IV, Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2), was a suborbital flight to test the Launch Abort System (LAS) of NASA's Orion spacecraft. The suborbital flight used a modified Minotaur IV, launched July 2, 2019, at 11:00 UTC from CCAFS SLC-46. The suborbital flight was a success. Reference: Wikipedia article Ascent Abort-2.
References edit
- ^ Stephen Clark, "Taurus rocket on the market with new name, upgrades", Spaceflight Now 24 February 2014
- ^ a b c . Encyclopedia Astronautix. Archived from the original on 8 May 2009.
- ^ "Minotaur IV". Orbital Sciences Corporation.
- ^ Culler, Jessica (16 June 2015). "LADEE - Lunar Atmosphere Dust and Environment Explorer". NASA. Retrieved 1 August 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Orbital ATK" (PDF). Orbital Sciences Corporation. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ^ "DARPASAT". space.skyrocket.de. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- ^ . Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 13 June 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- ^ "OCO". Orbital Sciences Corporation.
- ^ "Taurus rocket nose shroud dooms another NASA satellite". Spaceflight Now, March 2011.
- ^ Powell, Rebecca (16 April 2015). "Air Force Minotaur Rocket Launching from Virginia November 19". Nasa.gov. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ^ "ORS-3 and STPSat-3 Successfully Launched". Losangeles.af.mil. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ^ Krebs, Gunter (25 August 2021). "USA 305, ..., 308 (NROL 129 PL1, ..., 4)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ "Northrop Grumman Successfully Launches Minotaur I Rocket for the National Reconnaissance Office". Northrop Grumman. 15 June 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ Krebs, Gunter (24 June 2021). "USA 316, 317, 318 (NROL 111)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ Scully, Janene (7 July 2022). "Missile Test Ends in Explosion Seconds After Launch from Vandenberg SFB". Noozhawk. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
- ^ Martinez-Pogue, Jade (6 July 2022). "Test rocket launch scheduled from Vandenberg Space Force Base Thursday morning". KEYT-TV. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- ^ a b Navin, Joseph (1 September 2021). "Northrop Grumman discusses Antares NG-16's eventful countdown, talks future missions". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
"We're basically on contract for three Minotaur launches. One is a Minotaur IV, which looks like it's going to be launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in 2023, and that's for the Space Force," said Eberly. In total, there will be one Minotaur launch in 2022 and two launches in 2023. All three of these missions will launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and will be flown for the U.S. Space Force.
- ^ Clark, Stephen (15 June 2021). "NRO satellites launched by Minotaur rocket with surplus missile parts". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
[T]he Space Force and the NRO have purchased at least one more Minotaur flight to deliver another classified payload to orbit. That mission, known as NROL-174, will use a Minotaur 4 rocket, the larger Minotaur variant. It is scheduled for launch in 2023, Eberly said.
External links edit
- Minotaur I Rocket page
- Minotaur IV Rocket page
- NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day: Image of the September 2005 launch (28 September 2005)