Minotaur I
 Minotaur I with NFIRE at MARS |
|
| Function | Small expendable launch system |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Orbital Sciences |
| 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 to LEO | 580 kilograms (1,280 lb) |
| Payload to SSO | 331 kilograms (730 lb) |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | Vandenberg SLC-8 MARS LP-0B |
| Total launches | 11 |
| Successes | 11 |
| First flight | 27 January 2000 |
| First stage - M55A1 | |
| Engines | 1 Solid |
| Thrust | 935 kilonewtons (210,000 lbf) |
| Fuel | Solid |
| Second stage - SR19 | |
| Engines | 1 Solid |
| Thrust | 268 kilonewtons (60,000 lbf) |
| Fuel | Solid |
| Third stage - Orion 50XL | |
| Engines | 1 Solid |
| Thrust | 118.2 kilonewtons (26,600 lbf) |
| Burn time | 74 seconds |
| Fuel | Solid |
| Fourth stage - Orion 38 | |
| Engines | 1 Solid |
| Thrust | 34.8 kilonewtons (7,800 lbf) |
| Burn time | 68 seconds |
| Fuel | Solid |
The Minotaur I, or just Minotaur is an American expendable launch system derived from the Minuteman II missile. 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.
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.[2] 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]
There have been eleven launches of the Minotaur I, all successful. Initially Minotaur I launches were 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.[2]
Launch history
| Date (UTC) | Rocket | Flight | Payload | Launch pad | Trajectory | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 27, 2000 03:03:06 |
Minotaur I | 1 | JAWSat (P98-1) (FalconSat1 / ASUSat1 / OCSE / OPAL) | Vandenberg SLC-8 | LEO | Success[3] |
| July 19, 2000 20:09:00 |
Minotaur I | 2 | MightySat II.1 (Sindri, P99-1) / MEMS 2A / MEMS 2B | Vandenberg SLC-8 | LEO | Success[4] |
| April 11, 2005 13:35:00 |
Minotaur I | 3 | XSS-11 | Vandenberg SLC-8 | LEO | Success[5] |
| September 23, 2005 02:24:00 |
Minotaur I | 4 | Streak (STP-R1) | Vandenberg SLC-8 | LEO | Success[6] |
| April 15, 2006 01:40:00 |
Minotaur I | 5 | COSMIC (FORMOSAT-3) | Vandenberg SLC-8 | LEO | Success[7] |
| December 16, 2006 12:00 |
Minotaur I | 6 | TacSat-2 / GeneSat-1 | MARS LP-0B | LEO | Success[8] |
| April 24, 2007 06:48 |
Minotaur I | 7 | NFIRE | MARS LP-0B | LEO | Success[9] |
| May 19, 2009 23:55 |
Minotaur I | 8 | TacSat-3 | MARS LP-0B | LEO | Success[10] |
| February 6, 2011 12:26 |
Minotaur I | 9 | USA-225 (NROL-66) | Vandenberg SLC-8 | LEO | Success[11] |
| June 30, 2011 03:09 |
Minotaur I | 10 | ORS-1 | MARS LP-0B | LEO | Success[12] |
| November 20, 2013 01:15 |
Minotaur I | 11 | ORS-3,[13] STPSat-3 and 28 CubeSat satellites[14] | MARS LP-0B | LEO | Success [15] |
See also
References
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