 Minotaur I withNFIRE at 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 justMinotaur is an Americanexpendable launch system derived from theMinuteman II missile.[1] It is used to launchsmall satellites for theUS Government, and is a member of theMinotaur family of rockets produced byOrbital Sciences Corporation (nowNorthrop Grumman).[2]
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 stage andSR19 second stage of a decommissioned Minuteman missile.[1] TheOrion 50XL andOrion 38, from thePegasus 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 maneuver 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 ofinclination.[1]
The Minotaur I is 69 feet tall and 5 feet wide.[6]
Initially Minotaur I launches are conducted fromSpace Launch Complex 8 at theVandenberg Air Force Base. Starting with the launch ofTacSat-2 in December 2006, launches have also been conducted fromPad 0B at theMid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport onWallops Island.[5]
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) | .jpg) 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 | .jpg) 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 | .jpg) MARSLP-0B | LEO | Success[16] |
| 11 | November 20, 2013 01:15 | ORS-3,[17]STPSat-3 and 28CubeSat 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 | .jpg) Vandenberg TP-01 | Suborbital | Success[21] |