Function | Orbital launch vehicle |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Orbital Sciences, Orbital ATK, Northrop Grumman |
Country of origin | United States |
Cost per launch | US$40−50 million |
Size | |
Height | 27.9 m (92 ft)[ citation needed ] |
Diameter | 2.35 m (7 ft 9 in)[ citation needed ] |
Mass | 73,000 kg (161,000 lb)[ citation needed ] |
Stages | 4 |
Capacity | |
Payload to LEO | |
Mass | 1,458 kg (3,214 lb) |
Payload to SSO | |
Mass | 1,054 kg (2,324 lb) |
Launch history | |
Status | Active |
Launch sites | Vandenberg,SLC-576E |
Total launches | 10 |
Success(es) | 7 |
Failure(s) | 3 |
First flight | 13 March 1994,22:32 UTC USA 101 / USA 102 |
Last flight | 31 October 2017,21:37 UTC |
First stage –Castor 120 | |
Powered by | 1 Solid |
Maximum thrust | 1,606.6 kN (361,200 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 286 s (2.80 km/s) |
Burn time | 83 seconds |
Propellant | Solid |
Second stage –Taurus-1 | |
Powered by | 1 Solid |
Maximum thrust | 484.9 kN (109,000 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 285 s (2.79 km/s) |
Burn time | 73 seconds |
Propellant | Solid |
Third stage –Pegasus-2 | |
Powered by | 1 Solid |
Maximum thrust | 118.2 kN (26,600 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 292 s (2.86 km/s) |
Burn time | 73 seconds |
Propellant | Solid |
Fourth stage –Pegasus-3 | |
Powered by | 1 Solid |
Maximum thrust | 34.57 kN (7,770 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 293 s (2.87 km/s) |
Burn time | 65 seconds |
Propellant | Solid |
Minotaur-C (Minotaur Commercial),formerly known as Taurus [1] or Taurus XL,is a four stage solid fueled launch vehicle built in the United States by Orbital Sciences (now Northrop Grumman) and launched from SLC-576E at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. It is based on the air-launched Pegasus rocket from the same manufacturer,utilizing a "zeroth stage" in place of an airplane. The Minotaur-C is able to carry a maximum payload of around 1458 kg into a low Earth orbit (LEO). [2]
First launched in 1994,it has successfully completed seven out of a total of ten military and commercial missions. [3] Three of four launches between 2001 and 2011 ended in failure,including the 24 February 2009 launch of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory mission [4] and the 4 March 2011 launch of the Glory mission, [5] which resulted in losses totalling US$700 million for NASA (excluding the cost of the rockets themselves). [6] [7] The Taurus launch vehicle was subsequently rebranded in 2014 as Minotaur-C, [8] which incorporates new avionics based on those used by the Minotaur family of rockets. [1] [3] After a six years pause,the rocket successfully returned to flight in 2017 as Minotaur-C.
The Minotaur-C's first stage,an Orbital ATK Castor 120,is based on a Peacekeeper ICBM first stage. Stages 2 and 3 are Orion-50s (like the Pegasus-1 but without wings or stabilisers),and stage 4 is an Orion 38,derived from the Pegasus-3. [9]
Different configurations are designated using a four-digit code,similar to the numbering system used on Delta rockets. The first digit denotes the type of first stage being used,and whether the second and third stages use a standard or "XL" configuration. [10] [11] The second digit denotes the diameter of the payload fairing. [10] The third digit denotes the type of fourth stage. [10] The fourth digit denotes an optional fifth stage,so far unused. [10]
Number | First digit | Second Digit | Third Digit | Fourth Digit | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First stage | Second stage | Third stage | Fairing diameter | Fourth stage | Fifth stage | |
0 | — | — | — | None | ||
1 | TU-903 | Orion 50ST | Orion 50T | 1.60 m (63 in) | Orion 38 | — |
2 | Castor-120 | Orion 50ST | Orion 50T | 2.34 m (92 in) | — | — |
3 | Castor-120 | Orion 50SXLT | Orion 50XLT | — | Star-37FM | Star-37 [11] |
Flight № | Date/Time (UTC) | Vehicle type | Launch site | Payload | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 13 March 1994 22:32 | ARPA Taurus | VAFB,SLC-576E | STEP Mission 0 and DARPASAT | Success |
2 | 10 February 1998 13:20 | Commercial Taurus,92" payload fairing and 63" dual payload attach fitting | VAFB,SLC-576E | GFO and Orbcomm (satellite 11 and 12) | Success |
3 | 3 October 1998 10:04 | Air Force Taurus Configuration,63" fairing,Peacekeeper Stage 0 | VAFB,SLC-576E | Space Technology Experiment (STEX) for National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) | Success |
4 | 21 December 1999 07:13 | Model 2110,63" fairing,Castor 120 Stage 0 | VAFB,SLC-576E | KOMPSAT and ACRIMSAT | Success |
5 | 12 March 2000 09:29 | Air Force Taurus Configuration,63" fairing,Peacekeeper Stage 0 | VAFB,SLC-576E | Multispectral Thermal Imager (MTI) | Success |
6 | 21 September 2001 18:49 | Model 2110,63" fairing,Castor 120 Stage 0 | VAFB,SLC-576E | Orbview-4 / QuikTOMS | Failure |
7 | 20 May 2004 17:47 | Model 3210,92" fairing,Castor 120 Stage 0 | VAFB,SLC-576E | ROCSAT-2 | Success |
8 | 24 February 2009 09:55 | Model 3110,63" fairing,Castor 120 Stage 0 | VAFB,SLC-576E | Orbiting Carbon Observatory [12] | Failure |
9 | 4 March 2011 10:09 | Model 3110,63" fairing,Castor 120 Stage 0 | VAFB,SLC-576E | Glory,KySat-1,Hermes,and Explorer-1 [PRIME] | Failure [13] |
10 | 31 October 2017 21:37 | Model 3210,92" fairing,Castor 120 Stage 0 | VAFB,SLC-576E | SkySat x 6,Flock-3m x 4 | Success |
On 21 September 2001,a Taurus XL rocket failed during launch. When the second stage ignited at T+83 seconds,a nozzle gimbal actuator drive shaft seized for approximately 5 seconds causing loss of control. The vehicle recovered and continued to fly the mission profile,but failed to reach a stable orbit and reentered near Madagascar. [14]
On 24 February 2009,a Taurus XL rocket failed during the launch of the US$270 million Orbiting Carbon Observatory spacecraft. [15] Liftoff occurred successfully at 09:55 UTC from Vandenberg Air Force Base,but data received at a later stage of the flight suggested that the fairing failed to separate. The rocket did not reach orbit, [4] owing to the extra weight of the fairing. [6] [13] Launch vehicle and services for OCO are estimated at US$54 million. [16] The replacement satellite,Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2,was launched on 2 July 2014 aboard a Delta II rocket. [17] [18] [19]
On 4 March 2011,a Taurus XL rocket failed again during the launch of NASA's US$424 million Glory climate change monitoring satellite. In total,the last two failures of the Taurus XL have resulted in payload losses worth $700 million. [7] The reason for the failure was the same as with OCO:the payload fairing failed to separate,although the rocket's manufacturer Orbital Sciences Corporation had spent the last two years trying to fix the problem and had made several design changes to the fairing separation system. Ronald Grabe,manager of Orbital Sciences Corporation,which also built the Glory satellite itself,said the employees of his companies are "pretty devastated" because of the latest failure. [6] The fairing was built by the Vermont Composites company,and the frangible rail pyrotechnic separation system was built by the Ensign-Bickford Company. A NASA MIB panel concluded that the failure was most likely caused by a section of the frangible rail somewhere near the nose cap failing to separate. While a root cause could not be identified,two likely causes were identified:the rubber charge holder in the frangible rail slumping due to launch acceleration and random vibration,or a failure of the frangible rail system due to it operating outside the environment for which it was tested. [20]
A continued investigation eventually revealed that sub-standard parts provided by Sapa Profiles,Inc. (SPI) with falsified test results were the likely cause of both of the OCO and Glory fairing failures. [21]
The upper stages of the Minotaur-C are used by the boost vehicle of the Ground-Based Interceptor, [22] the anti-ballistic missile component of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system.
Delta II was an expendable launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II was part of the Delta rocket family and entered service in 1989. Delta II vehicles included the Delta 6000, and the two later Delta 7000 variants. The rocket flew its final mission ICESat-2 on 15 September 2018, earning the launch vehicle a streak of 100 successful missions in a row, with the last failure being GPS IIR-1 in 1997.
Pegasus is an air-launched launch vehicle developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) and now built and launched by Northrop Grumman. Capable of carrying small payloads of up to 443 kg (977 lb) into low Earth orbit, Pegasus first flew in 1990 and remains active as of 2021. The vehicle consists of three solid propellant stages and an optional monopropellant fourth stage. Pegasus is released from its carrier aircraft at approximately 12,000 m (39,000 ft), and its first stage has a wing and a tail to provide lift and attitude control while in the atmosphere. Notably, the first stage does not have a thrust vector control (TVC) system.
Orbital Sciences Corporation was an American company specializing in the design, manufacture and launch of small- and medium- class space and launch vehicle systems for commercial, military and other government customers. In 2014, Orbital merged with Alliant Techsystems to create a new company called Orbital ATK, Inc., which in turn was purchased by Northrop Grumman in 2018. The remnants of the former Orbital Sciences Corporation today are a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman known as Northrop Grumman Space Systems.
The Minotaur is a family of United States solid fuel launch vehicles derived from converted Minuteman and Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). They are built by Northrop Grumman via contract with the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center's Space Development and Test Directorate (SMC/SD) as part of the Air Force's Rocket Systems Launch Program which converts retired Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles into space and test launch systems for U.S. government agencies.
A payload fairing is a nose cone used to protect a spacecraft payload against the impact of dynamic pressure and aerodynamic heating during launch through an atmosphere. An additional function on some flights is to maintain the cleanroom environment for precision instruments. Once outside the atmosphere the fairing is jettisoned, exposing the payload to outer space.
The Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) is a NASA satellite mission intended to provide global space-based observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The original spacecraft was lost in a launch failure on 24 February 2009, when the payload fairing of the Taurus rocket which was carrying it failed to separate during ascent. The added mass of the fairing prevented the satellite from reaching orbit. It subsequently re-entered the atmosphere and crashed into the Indian Ocean near Antarctica. The replacement satellite, Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, was launched 2 July 2014 aboard a Delta II rocket. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3, a stand-alone payload built from the spare OCO-2 flight instrument, was installed on the International Space Station's Kibō Exposed Facility in May 2019.
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.
The Castor family of solid-fuel rocket stages and boosters built by Thiokol and used on a variety of launch vehicles. They were initially developed as the second-stage motor of the Scout rocket. The design was based on the MGM-29 Sergeant, a surface-to-surface missile developed for the United States Army at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The Glory satellite was a planned NASA satellite mission that would have collected data on the chemical, micro-physical and optical properties—and the spatial and temporal distributions—of sulfate and other aerosols, and would have collected solar irradiance data for the long-term climate record. The science focus areas served by Glory included: atmospheric composition; carbon cycle, ecosystems, and biogeochemistry; climate variability and change; and water and energy cycles. The US$424 million satellite was lost on 4 March 2011, when its Taurus XL carrier rocket malfunctioned. A subsequent investigation revealed that the fairing system failed to open fully, causing the satellite to reenter the atmosphere at which point it likely broke up and burned. NASA investigators later determined the cause for the launch failure to be faulty materials provided by aluminum manufacturer Sapa Profiles.
Antares, known during early development as Taurus II, is an expendable launch system developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation and the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau to launch the Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of NASA's COTS and CRS programs. Able to launch payloads heavier than 8,000 kg (18,000 lb) into low Earth orbit, Antares is currently the largest rocket operated by Northrop Grumman. Antares launches from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport and made its inaugural flight on April 21, 2013.
The A-train is a satellite constellation of four Earth observation satellites of varied nationality in sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of slightly variable for each satellite.
Minotaur IV, also known as Peacekeeper SLV and OSP-2 PK is an active expendable launch system derived from the LGM-118 Peacekeeper ICBM. It is operated by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, and made its maiden flight on 22 April 2010, carrying the HTV-2a Hypersonic Test Vehicle. The first orbital launch occurred on 26 September 2010 with the SBSS satellite for the United States Air Force.
Stargazer is a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar built in 1974, that was modified in 1994 to be used by Orbital Sciences as a mother ship launch pad for the Pegasus launch vehicle. As of October 2019, 44 rockets have been launched from it, using the Pegasus-H and Pegasus-XL configurations. As of 2019, Stargazer is the only L-1011 airframe still airworthy.
KySat-1 was an American satellite which was to have been operated by Kentucky Space. Designed to operate for eighteen to twenty four months, it was lost in a launch failure in March 2011 after the Taurus launch vehicle carrying it failed to achieve orbit.
Hermes was an American satellite which was to have been operated by the Colorado Space Grant Consortium. Intended to perform technology demonstration experiments in low Earth orbit, it was lost during launch in March 2011 when the rocket that was carrying it failed to achieve orbit.
The Star is a family of US solid-propellant rocket motors originally developed by Thiokol and used by many space propulsion and launch vehicle stages. They are used almost exclusively as an upper stage, often as an apogee kick motor.
Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) is an American environmental science satellite which launched on 2 July 2014. A NASA mission, it is a replacement for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory which was lost in a launch failure in 2009. It is the second successful high-precision CO2 observing satellite, after GOSAT.
Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems (NGIS) was a sector of Northrop Grumman from 2018 through 2019. It was formed out of Orbital ATK Inc. a company which resulted from the merger of Orbital Sciences Corporation and parts of Alliant Techsystems in 2015. Orbital ATK was purchased by Northrop Grumman in 2018. Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems designed, built, and delivered space, defense, and aviation-related systems to customers around the world both as a prime contractor and as a merchant supplier. It had a workforce of approximately 12,000 employees dedicated to aerospace and defense including about 4,000 engineers and scientists; 7,000 manufacturing and operations specialists; and 1,000 management and administration personnel. With Northrop Grumman's reorganization of its divisions effective January 1, 2020, NGIS was split, with most of the sector merging with other Northrop Grumman businesses into a new Space Systems sector.
A small-lift launch vehicle is a rocket orbital launch vehicle that is capable of lifting up to 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) or up to 5,000 kilograms (11,000 lb) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). The next larger category consists of medium-lift launch vehicles.
The Orbital Boost Vehicle, developed for the US military's Ground Based Interceptor program, uses the upper stages of the Taurus