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Minotaur I

Minotaur I
Minotaur I with NFIRE at MARS
FunctionSmall expendable launch system
ManufacturerNorthrop Grumman
Country of originUnited States
Size
Height19.21 metres (63.0 ft)
Diameter1.67 metres (5 ft 6 in)
Mass36,200 kilograms (79,800 lb)
Stages4 or 5
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Mass580 kilograms (1,280 lb)
Payload to SSO
Mass331 kilograms (730 lb)
Launch history
StatusActive
Launch sitesVandenberg SLC-8
MARS LP-0B
Total launches13
Success(es)13
First flight27 January 2000
Last flight18 June 2024
First stage – M55A1
Powered by1 Solid
Maximum thrust935 kilonewtons (210,000 lbf)
PropellantSolid
Second stage – SR19
Powered by1 Solid
Maximum thrust268 kilonewtons (60,000 lbf)
PropellantSolid
Third stage – Orion 50XL
Powered by1 Solid
Maximum thrust118.2 kilonewtons (26,600 lbf)
Burn time74 seconds
PropellantSolid
Fourth stage – Orion 38
Powered by1 Solid
Maximum thrust34.8 kilonewtons (7,800 lbf)
Burn time68 seconds
PropellantSolid
[edit on Wikidata]

The Minotaur I, or just Minotaur is an American expendable launch system derived from the Minuteman II missile.[1] It is used to launch small satellites for the US Government, and is a member of the Minotaur family of rockets produced by Orbital Sciences Corporation (now Northrop Grumman).[2]

Vehicle

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 a Minuteman missile.[4]

Minotaur I rockets consist of the M55A1 first stage and SR19 second stage of a decommissioned Minuteman missile.[1] The Orion 50XL and Orion 38, from the Pegasus rocket, 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 orbit at 28.5 degrees of inclination.[1]

The Minotaur I is 69 feet tall and 5 feet wide.[6]

Initially Minotaur I launches are conducted from Space Launch Complex 8 at the Vandenberg Air Force Base. Starting with the launch of TacSat-2 in December 2006, launches have also been conducted from Pad 0B at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island.[5]

Launch history

There have been thirteen launches of the Minotaur I, all successful.

Minotaur I launch history
Flight Date (UTC) Payload Launch pad Trajectory Result
1 January 27, 2000
03:03:06		 JAWSat (P98-1) (FalconSat1 / ASUSat1 / OCSE / OPAL) Vandenberg SLC-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
MARS LP-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
MARS LP-0B		 LEO Success[16]
11 November 20, 2013
01:15		 ORS-3,[17] STPSat-3 and 28 CubeSat satellites[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

References

  1. ^ a b c "Minotaur I Space Launch Vehicle—Fact Sheet" (PDF). Orbital Sciences. NASA. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Minotaur Rocket". Northrop Grumman. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  3. ^ Clark, Stephen (24 February 2014). "Taurus rocket on the market with new name, upgrades". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  4. ^ "Minotaur I Space Launch Vehicle" (PDF). NASA. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 25, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Minotaur I User's Guide - Release 3.0" (PDF). Orbital Sciences Corporation. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  6. ^ "NASA - TacSat-2 Mission Information". www.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  7. ^ Ray, Justin. "Spaceflight Now - Minotaur Mission Report - Mission Status Center - JAWSAT". Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  8. ^ Ray, Justin. "Spaceflight Now - Minotaur Mission Report - Mission Status Center - Mightysat 2.1". Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  9. ^ Ray, Justin. "Minotaur rocket launches U.S. military spacecraft". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  10. ^ Ray, Justin. "Rocket launch paints sky with breath-taking scene". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  11. ^ Ray, Justin. "Spaceflight Now - Minotaur Mission Report - Mission Status Center - COSMIC". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  12. ^ Clark, Stephen. "Minotaur rocket makes sunrise ascent from Virginia". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  13. ^ Ray, Justin. "Missile research spacecraft soars into orbit from Virginia". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  14. ^ Clark, Stephen. "Minotaur lofts experimental satellite for U.S. military". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  15. ^ "Orbital Successfully Launches Minotaur I Rocket for U.S. Air Force". Orbital Sciences Corporation. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  16. ^ "Orbital Successfully Launches Minotaur I Rocket Carrying ORS-1 Satellite for the U.S. Air Force". Orbital Sciences Corporation. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  17. ^ "Media Accreditation Open for ORS-3 Mission from Wallops in November". NASA. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  18. ^ "Orbital's Minotaur I successfully lofts multitude of payloads". NASASpaceFlight.com. 19 November 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  19. ^ "Orbital Successfully Launches Minotaur I Rocket Supporting ORS-3 Mission for the U.S. Air Force". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  20. ^ "Northrop Grumman Successfully Launches Minotaur I Rocket for the National Reconnaissance Office". Northrop Grumman. 15 June 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  21. ^ Hadley, Greg (2024-06-18). "Air Force, Lockheed Test New Reentry Vehicle for Sentinel ICBM". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
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