Minotaur (rocket)
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 Minotaur-1 rocket launching Mightysat-2.1 satellite |
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| Fact sheet | ||
|---|---|---|
| Function | Small orbital launch vehicle | |
| Manufacturer | Orbital Sciences | |
| Country of origin | USA | |
| Size | ||
| Height | 19.21 m (63.02 ft) | |
| Diameter | 1.67 m (5.46 ft) | |
| Mass | 36,200 kg (79,800 lb) | |
| Stages | 4 | |
| Capacity | ||
| Payload to LEO | 580 kg (1,280 lbm) | |
| Payload to SSO (700 km) |
331 kg (732 lbm) | |
| Launch History | ||
| Status | Active | |
| Launch Sites | SLC-8, Vandenberg AFB Pad-0B, Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport |
|
| Total launches | 6 | |
| Successes | 6 | |
| Maiden flight | 27 January 2000 | |
| First Stage - M55E1 | ||
| Engines | 1 Solid | |
| Thrust | 935.000 kN (210,196 lbf) | |
| Burn time | TBC | |
| Fuel | Solid | |
| Second Stage - SR19AJ1 | ||
| Engines | 1 Solid | |
| Thrust | 268 kN (60300 lbf) | |
| Burn time | TBC | |
| Fuel | Solid | |
| Third Stage - Orion 50XL | ||
| Engines | 1 Solid | |
| Thrust | 118.200 kN (26,572 lbf) | |
| Burn time | 74 seconds | |
| Fuel | Solid | |
| Fourth Stage - Orion 38 | ||
| Engines | 1 Solid | |
| Thrust | 34.6 kN (7,778 lbf) | |
| Burn time | 68 seconds | |
| Fuel | Solid | |
The Minotaur I Rocket is an American solid fuel rocket designed to launch small satellites. It is built by Orbital Sciences Corporation and uses decommissioned Minuteman 2 solid rocket motors in its first and second stages, combined with Pegasus-based third and fourth stages. It is capable of putting up to 1280 lbm (580 kg) into LEO (100 nmi/185 km, 28.5 deg inclination).
The fourth launch of Minotaur I in September 2005 was a spectacular sunset launch, delivering a fast-growing cloud of colors, visible across the whole southern west coast of the United States. Local authorities reported being flooded with calls about the phenomenon.
The most recent Minotaur I launch of the TacSat-2 spacecraft on 16 December 2006 [1] was the first successfull orbital-insertion space launch from Wallops Island, VA in 22 years. It was also the innaugral launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) launch facility.
[edit] Minotaur orbital flights
| Date (UTC) | Flight | Payload | Launch pad | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 27, 2000 03:03:06 | 1 | JAWSat (P98-1) (FalconSat1 / ASUSat1 / OCSE / OPAL) | SLC-8, Vandenberg AFB, CA | Success |
| July 19, 2000 20:09:00 | 2 | MightySat II.1 (Sindri, P99-1) / MEMS 2A / MEMS 2B | SLC-8, Vandenberg AFB, CA | Success |
| April 11, 2005 13:35:00 | 3 | XSS-11 | SLC-8, Vandenberg AFB, CA | Success |
| September 23, 2005 02:24:00 | 4 | Streak (STP-R1) | SLC-8, Vandenberg AFB, CA | Success |
| April 15, 2006 01:40:00 | 5 | COSMIC (FORMOSAT-3) | SLC-8, Vandenberg AFB, CA | Success |
| December 16, 2006 12:00 | 6 | TacSat-2 / GeneSat-1 | Pad 0B,Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, Wallops Island, VA | Success |
[edit] Minotaur IV
Orbital Sciences Corporation is currently developing the much more powerful Minotaur IV for the U.S. Air Force. 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.
A Minotaur V five-stage version has also been conceptualized. It would have an additional upper stage for small GTO, lunar, and interplanetary missions.
[edit] External links
- Minotaur I Rocket page
- Minotaur IV Rocket page
- Image of the September 2005 launch
- Free paper models of the Minotaur Rocket
| Current: |
Ariane 5 · Atlas V · Cosmos-3M · Delta II · Delta IV · Dnepr · Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle · H-IIA · Long March · Minotaur · Molniya · Pegasus · Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle · Proton · Rockot · Shavit · Soyuz (U, 2) · Taurus · Tsyklon · Zenit |
|---|---|
| Planned: | |
| Historical: |
Ariane 1 · Ariane 2/3 · Ariane 4 · Atlas ICBM · Atlas II · Atlas III · Black Arrow · Delta III · Diamant · Energia · Europa · H-II · J-I · Juno I · M-V · N1 · R-7 Semyorka · Saturn I · Saturn IB · Saturn V · Saturn INT-21 · Scout · Thor · Titan (I, II, III, IIIB, IV) · Vanguard · Voskhod · Vostok |
