Minotaur I
 Minotaur I withNFIREat MARS | |
| Function | Small expendable launch system |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Northrop Grumman |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Size | |
| Height | 19.21 metres (63.0 ft) |
| Diameter | 1.67 metres (5 ft 6 in) |
| Mass | 36,200 kilograms (79,800 lb) |
| Stages | 4 or 5 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload toLEO | |
| Mass | 580 kilograms (1,280 lb) |
| Payload toSSO | |
| Mass | 331 kilograms (730 lb) |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | VandenbergSLC-8 MARSLP-0B |
| Total launches | 13 |
| Success(es) | 13 |
| First flight | 27 January 2000 |
| Last flight | 18 June 2024 |
| First stage –M55A1 | |
| Powered by | 1Solid |
| Maximum thrust | 935 kilonewtons (210,000 lbf) |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Second stage –SR19 | |
| Powered by | 1Solid |
| Maximum thrust | 268 kilonewtons (60,000 lbf) |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Third stage –Orion 50XL | |
| Powered by | 1Solid |
| Maximum thrust | 118.2 kilonewtons (26,600 lbf) |
| Burn time | 74 seconds |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Fourth stage –Orion 38 | |
| Powered by | 1Solid |
| Maximum thrust | 34.8 kilonewtons (7,800 lbf) |
| Burn time | 68 seconds |
| Propellant | Solid |
TheMinotaur I,or justMinotauris an Americanexpendable launch systemderived from theMinuteman IImissile.[1]It is used to launchsmall satellitesfor theUS Government,and is a member of theMinotaurfamily of rockets produced byOrbital Sciences Corporation(nowNorthrop Grumman).[2]
Vehicle[edit]
The Minotaur I is the follow-on to the Orbital Sciences'Taurus(later renamed the "Minotaur-C"[3]) launch vehicle, combining the original Taurus's booster stage with a second stage from aMinuteman missile.[4]
Minotaur I rockets consist of theM55A1first stageandSR19second stage of a decommissioned Minuteman missile.[1] TheOrion 50XLandOrion 38,from thePegasusrocket, are used as third and fourth stages. A HAPS (Hydrazine Auxiliary Propulsion System) upper stage can also be flown if greater precision is needed, or the rocket needs to be able to manoeuvre to deploy multiple payloads.[5] It can place up to 580 kilograms (1,280 lb) of payload into a 185-kilometer (115 mi)low Earth orbitat 28.5 degrees ofinclination.[1]
The Minotaur I is 69 feet tall and 5 feet wide.[6]
Initially Minotaur I launches are conducted fromSpace Launch Complex 8at theVandenberg Air Force Base.Starting with the launch ofTacSat-2in December 2006, launches have also been conducted fromPad 0Bat theMid-Atlantic Regional SpaceportonWallops Island.[5]
Launch history[edit]
There have been thirteen launches of the Minotaur I, all successful.
| Flight | Date (UTC) | Payload | Launch pad | Trajectory | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 27, 2000 03:03:06 |
JAWSat(P98-1) (FalconSat1/ASUSat1/OCSE/OPAL) | VandenbergSLC-8 | LEO | Success[7] |
| 2 | July 19, 2000 20:09:00 |
MightySat II.1(Sindri, P99-1) /MEMS 2A/MEMS 2B | Vandenberg SLC-8 | LEO | Success[8] |
| 3 | April 11, 2005 13:35:00 |
XSS-11 |  Vandenberg SLC-8 |
LEO | Success[9] |
| 4 | September 23, 2005 02:24:00 |
Streak (STP-R1) |  Vandenberg SLC-8 |
LEO | Success[10] |
| 5 | April 15, 2006 01:40:00 |
COSMIC (FORMOSAT-3) | Vandenberg SLC-8 | LEO | Success[11] |
| 6 | December 16, 2006 12:00 |
TacSat-2/GeneSat-1 |  MARSLP-0B |
LEO | Success[12] |
| 7 | April 24, 2007 06:48 |
NFIRE | MARS LP-0B |
LEO | Success[13] |
| 8 | May 19, 2009 23:55 |
TacSat-3 |  MARS LP-0B |
LEO | Success[14] |
| 9 | February 6, 2011 12:26 |
USA-225(NROL-66) |  Vandenberg SLC-8 |
LEO | Success[15] |
| 10 | June 30, 2011 03:09 |
ORS-1 |  MARSLP-0B |
LEO | Success[16] |
| 11 | November 20, 2013 01:15 |
ORS-3,[17]STPSat-3and 28CubeSatsatellites[18] |  MARS LP-0B |
LEO | Success[19] |
| 12 | June 15, 2021 13:35 |
NROL-111 | MARS LP-0B | LEO | Success[20] |
| 13 | June 18, 2024 07:01 |
Mk21A reentry vehicle test |  Vandenberg TP-01 |
Suborbital | Success[21] |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^abc"Minotaur I Space Launch Vehicle—Fact Sheet"(PDF).Orbital Sciences.NASA.2006. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 6 July 2022.Retrieved15 June2021.
- ^"Minotaur Rocket".Northrop Grumman.Retrieved2021-06-07.
- ^Clark, Stephen (24 February 2014)."Taurus rocket on the market with new name, upgrades".Spaceflight Now.Retrieved26 May2014.
- ^"Minotaur I Space Launch Vehicle"(PDF).NASA.2006. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on February 25, 2017.RetrievedMarch 12,2023.
- ^ab"Minotaur I User's Guide - Release 3.0"(PDF).Orbital Sciences Corporation.Retrieved1 September2015.
- ^"NASA - TacSat-2 Mission Information".nasa.gov.Retrieved2021-08-03.
- ^Ray, Justin."Spaceflight Now - Minotaur Mission Report - Mission Status Center - JAWSAT".Retrieved21 April2013.
- ^Ray, Justin."Spaceflight Now - Minotaur Mission Report - Mission Status Center - Mightysat 2.1".Retrieved21 April2013.
- ^Ray, Justin."Minotaur rocket launches U.S. military spacecraft".Spaceflight Now.Retrieved21 April2013.
- ^Ray, Justin."Rocket launch paints sky with breath-taking scene".Spaceflight Now.Retrieved21 April2013.
- ^Ray, Justin."Spaceflight Now - Minotaur Mission Report - Mission Status Center - COSMIC".Spaceflight Now.Retrieved21 April2013.
- ^Clark, Stephen."Minotaur rocket makes sunrise ascent from Virginia".Spaceflight Now.Retrieved21 April2013.
- ^Ray, Justin."Missile research spacecraft soars into orbit from Virginia".Spaceflight Now.Retrieved21 April2013.
- ^Clark, Stephen."Minotaur lofts experimental satellite for U.S. military".Spaceflight Now.Retrieved21 April2013.
- ^"Orbital Successfully Launches Minotaur I Rocket for U.S. Air Force".Orbital Sciences Corporation.Retrieved21 April2013.
- ^"Orbital Successfully Launches Minotaur I Rocket Carrying ORS-1 Satellite for the U.S. Air Force".Orbital Sciences Corporation.Retrieved21 April2013.
- ^ "Media Accreditation Open for ORS-3 Mission from Wallops in November".NASA.30 October 2013.Retrieved30 October2013.
- ^"Orbital's Minotaur I successfully lofts multitude of payloads".NASASpaceFlight.19 November 2013.Retrieved20 November2013.
- ^"Orbital Successfully Launches Minotaur I Rocket Supporting ORS-3 Mission for the U.S. Air Force".Wall Street Journal.Retrieved20 November2013.
- ^"Northrop Grumman Successfully Launches Minotaur I Rocket for the National Reconnaissance Office".Northrop Grumman.15 June 2021.Retrieved15 June2021.
- ^Hadley, Greg (2024-06-18)."Air Force, Lockheed Test New Reentry Vehicle for Sentinel ICBM".Air & Space Forces Magazine.Retrieved2024-06-29.
- "Fact Sheet"(PDF).Minotaur I.Orbital Sciences Corporation.Retrieved2009-04-28.
- "Minotaur Mission History".Minotaur I.Orbital Sciences Corporation.Retrieved2009-04-28.
- "Minotaur I Users Guide"(PDF).Minotaur I.Orbital Sciences Corporation.Retrieved2015-09-01.
- Wade, Mark."Minotaur".Encyclopedia Astronautica.Archived fromthe originalon 2009-05-08.Retrieved2009-04-28.
- Krebs, Gunter."Minotaur-1 (OSP-SLV)".Gunter's Space Page.Retrieved2009-04-28.
- Krebs, Gunter."Minotaur-1 (OSP-SLV)".Gunter's Space Page.Retrieved2009-04-28.
- Krebs, Gunter."Minotaur-1 HAPS (OSP-SLV)".Gunter's Space Page.Retrieved2009-04-28.
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