Minotaur II rockets consist of the M55A1 first stage and SR19AJ1 second stage of a decommissioned Minuteman missile. The third stage varies depending on the configuration required for the payload: a Minuteman II M57A1 stage is used on the baseline configuration, whilst the Minotaur II+ uses an SR-73-AJ. The Minotaur II Lite is a two-stage configuration, without a third stage. A heavy configuration is also available, with an Orion 50XL third stage, as used on the Minotaur I. The baseline configuration can propel a 400 kilograms (880 lb) payload 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi) downrange, whilst the heavy configuration can place 1,400 kilograms (3,100 lb) onto an 8,000-kilometre (5,000 mi) trajectory.
 Minotaur II launch from Vandenberg | |
| Function | Suborbital launch system |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Orbital Sciences (original); Northrop Grumman (current) |
| 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 | 2 or 3 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to 8000km S/O | |
| Mass | 400 kilograms (880 lb) |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | Vandenberg LF-06 Vandenberg TP-01 |
| Total launches | 9 |
| Success(es) | 8 |
| First flight | 28 May 2000 |
| Last flight | 7 July 2022 |
| First stage – M55E1 | |
| Powered by | 1 Solid |
| Maximum thrust | 935 kilonewtons (210,000 lbf) |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Second stage – SR19AJ1 | |
| Powered by | 1 Solid |
| Maximum thrust | 268 kilonewtons (60,000 lbf) |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Third stage (Baseline) – M57A1 | |
| Powered by | 1 Solid |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Third stage (Minotaur II+) – SR-73-AJ | |
| Powered by | 1 Solid |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Third stage (Heavy) – Orion 50XL | |
| Powered by | 1 Solid |
| Maximum thrust | 118.2 kilonewtons (26,600 lbf) |
| Burn time | 74 seconds |
| Propellant | Solid |
Nine Minotaur II rockets have been launched as of July 2022, with six flights using the baseline configuration and three using the Minotaur II+ configuration. Launches are conducted from Launch Facility 06 (LF-06) and Test Pad 01 (TP-01).
Launch history
edit| Flight No. | Date (UTC) | Rocket | Payload | Launch pad | Trajectory | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 28, 2000
20:00 |
Minotaur II | OSP-TLV Missile Defense Technology Demonstrator | Vandenberg LF-06 | Suborbital | Success |
| 2 | December 12, 2001 | Minotaur II | IFT-7 target mission | Vandenberg LF-06 | Suborbital | Success |
| 3 | March 16, 2002
02:11 |
Minotaur II | TLV-1 IFT-8 GMDS target mission | Vandenberg LF-06 | Suborbital | Success |
| 4 | October 15, 2002
02:01 |
Minotaur II | TLV-3 GMDS target mission | Vandenberg LF-06 | Suborbital | Success |
| 5 | December 11, 2002
08:26 |
Minotaur II | TLV-4 GMDS target mission | Vandenberg LF-06 | Suborbital | Success |
| 6 | March 20, 2007
04:27 |
Minotaur II | TLV-5 FTX-02 SBR target mission | Vandenberg LF-06 | Suborbital | Success |
| 7 | August 23, 2007
08:30 |
Minotaur II+ | TLV-7 Mission 2a sensor target for NFIRE satellite | Vandenberg LF-06 | Suborbital | Success |
| 8 | September 24, 2008
06:57 |
Minotaur II+ | TLV-8 Mission 2b sensor target for NFIRE satellite | Vandenberg LF-06 | Suborbital | Success |
| 9 | July 7, 2022
06:01[1] |
Minotaur II+ | Mk21A reentry vehicle test[2][a] | Vandenberg TP-01 | Suborbital | Failure |
Notes
edit- ^ Reentry vehicle demonstration for the future LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile. Rocket exploded 11 seconds after launch.
References
edit- Krebs, Gunter. "Minotaur-2 (OSP-SLV)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-04-30.
- Krebs, Gunter. "Minuteman Target Launch Vehicles". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
- ^ Scully, Janene (7 July 2022). "Missile Test Ends in Explosion Seconds After Launch from Vandenberg SFB". Noozhawk. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
- ^ Martinez-Pogue, Jade (6 July 2022). "Test rocket launch scheduled from Vandenberg Space Force Base Thursday morning". KEYT-TV. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
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