The Minotaur is a family of United States solid-fuel launch vehicles repurposed from retired Minuteman and Peacekeeper model intercontinental ballistic missiles. Built by Northrop Grumman under the Space Force's Rocket Systems Launch Program, these vehicles are used for various space and test launch missions.
The Minotaur family consists of four main variants: the Minotaur I, primarily used for launching small satellites into low Earth orbit; the Minotaur II, used as a primarily used suborbital target vehicle; the Minotaur IV, a small-lift launch vehicle; and the Minotaur V, capable of reaching higher orbits, including geostationary transfer orbit and trans-lunar trajectories. Minotaur I and II are derived from the Minuteman missile, while Minotaur IV, V, and the cancelled Minotaur III are based on the Peacekeeper ICBM.
The Taurus launch vehicle, later renamed [1] Minotaur-C (for "Minotaur-Commercial"), was the first of the Minotaur vehicle family, and the first ground-launched orbital booster developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC), derived by adding a solid booster stage to the air-launched Pegasus rocket.
The first flight, sponsored by DARPA, was in 1994. After a series of failures between 2001 and 2011, the launch vehicle was rebranded as Minotaur-C in 2014. Due to laws against selling government equipment, the Minotaur-C is the only available Minotaur launch vehicle for commercial launches.[ citation needed ]
The original Minotaur launch vehicle, consisting of an M55A1 first stage, SR19 second stage, Orion 50XL third stage, Orion 38 fourth stage, and optional HAPS fifth stage for velocity trim and multiple payload deployment. Payload 580 kg to a 185 km, 28.5° orbit from Cape Canaveral; or 310 kg to a 740 km Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) from Vandenberg. [2]
A suborbital target vehicle, essentially consisting of a Minuteman II with Orbital guidance and control systems. Consists of M55A1 first stage, SR19 second stage, and M57 third stage. Payload 460 kg on 6700 km suborbital trajectory. [2]
A suborbital target vehicle, consisting of an SR118 first stage, SR119 second stage, SR120 third stage, and Super HAPS fourth stage. Payload 3060 kg on a 6700 km suborbital trajectory. [2] The vehicle's development was cancelled and the Minotaur III was never flown.[ citation needed ]
The Minotaur IV combines U.S. government-furnished solid rocket motors from decommissioned Peacekeeper ICBMs with technologies from other Orbital-built launch vehicles, including the Minotaur I, Pegasus, and Taurus. The Minotaur IV launch vehicle consists of an SR118 first stage, SR119 second stage, SR120 third stage, and Orion 38 fourth stage. Payload 1735 kg to a 185 km, 28.5° orbit from Cape Canaveral.
The first Minotaur IV was launched 22 April 2010 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. [3] This vehicle is also being developed to accommodate the Conventional Prompt Global Strike (CPGS) mission for the Air Force.
The Minotaur V is a five-stage version based on the Minotaur IV+. It has an additional upper stage for small geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), lunar, and interplanetary missions.
NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission was launched on the first Minotaur V, from the Wallops Island, Virginia launch site at 03:27 UTC on 7 September 2013. The Minotaur launched the LADEE spacecraft into a highly elliptic orbit where it can phase and time its trajectory burn to the moon. [4]
The Minotaur VI is a five-stage launch vehicle proposed by Northrop Grumman that, as of 2024, has not flown. Minotaur VI is based on the Minotaur IV+, adding a second SR-118 first stage to increase performance. [5] A further enhanced variant, Minotaur VI+, is also proposed for beyond low Earth orbit missions using an added Star 37FM sixth stage motor. For example, Minotaur VI+ can send up to 300 kilograms (660 lb) of payload to Mars.
1994 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 13 March 1994 22:32 | Minotaur-C | Vandenberg, SLC-576E | STEP Mission 0 and DARPASAT | USAF/DARPA [6] [7] | Success | |
1998 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
2 | 10 February 1998 13:20 | Minotaur-C | Vandenberg, SLC-576E | GFO and Orbcomm (satellites 11,12) | Success | ||
3 | 3 October 1998 10:04 | Minotaur-C | Vandenberg, SLC-576E | Space Technology Experiment (STEX) | NRO | Success | |
1999 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
4 | 21 December 1999 07:13 | Minotaur-C | Vandenberg, SLC-576E | KOMPSAT and ACRIMSAT | Success | ||
2000 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
5 | 27 January 2000 03:03:06 | Minotaur I | Vandenberg, SLC-8 | JAWSat (P98-1) (FalconSat1 / ASUSat1 / OCSE / OPAL) | LEO | Success | |
6 | 12 March 2000 09:29 | Minotaur-C | Vandenberg, SLC-576E | Multispectral Thermal Imager (MTI) | Success | ||
7 | 28 May 2000 20:00 | Minotaur II | Vandenberg, LF-06 | OSP-TLV Missile Defense Technology Demonstrator | Suborbital | Success | |
8 | 19 July 2000 20:09:00 | Minotaur I | Vandenberg, SLC-8 | MightySat II.1 (Sindri, P99-1) / MEMS 2A / MEMS 2B | LEO | Success | |
2001 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
9 | 21 September 2001 18:49 | Minotaur-C | Vandenberg, SLC-576E | Orbview-4/QuikTOMS | Failure | ||
10 | 4 December 2001 04:59 | Minotaur II | Vandenberg, LF-06 | TLV-1 IFT-7 GMDS target mission | Suborbital | Success | |
2002 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
11 | 16 March 2002 02:11 | Minotaur II | Vandenberg, LF-06 | TLV-2 IFT-8 GMDS target mission | Suborbital | Success | |
12 | 15 October 2002 02:01 | Minotaur II | Vandenberg, LF-06 | TLV-3 GMDS target mission | Suborbital | Success | |
13 | 11 December 2002 08:26 | Minotaur II | Vandenberg, LF-06 | TLV-4 GMDS target mission | Suborbital | Success | |
2004 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
14 | 20 May 2004 17:47 | Minotaur-C | Vandenberg, SLC-576E | ROCSAT-2 | Success | ||
2005 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date / time (UTC) | Rocket, Configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
15 | 11 April 2005 13:35:00 | Minotaur I | Vandenberg, SLC-8 | XSS-11 | LEO | Success | |
16 | 22 September 2005 19:24:00 | Minotaur I | Vandenberg, SLC-8 | Streak (STP-R1) | LEO | Success | |
2006 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
17 | 15 April 2006 01:40:00 | Minotaur I | Vandenberg, SLC-8 | COSMIC (FORMOSAT-3) | LEO | Success | |
18 | 16 December 2006 12:00 | Minotaur I | MARS, LP-0B | TacSat-2 / GeneSat-1 | LEO | Success | |
2007 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
19 | 21 March 2007 04:27 | Minotaur II | Vandenberg, LF-06 | TLV-5 FTX-02 SBR target mission | Suborbital | Success | |
20 | 24 April 2007 06:48 | Minotaur I | MARS, LP-0B | NFIRE | LEO | Success | |
21 | 23 August 2007 08:30 | Minotaur II+ | Vandenberg, LF-06 | TLV-7 Mission 2a sensor target for NFIRE satellite | Suborbital | Success | |
2008 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
22 | 24 September 2008 06:57 | Minotaur II+ | Vandenberg, LF-06 | TLV-8 Mission 2b sensor target for NFIRE satellite | Suborbital | Success | |
2009 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
23 | 24 February 2009 09:55 | Minotaur-C | Vandenberg, SLC-576E | Orbiting Carbon Observatory [8] | Failure | ||
24 | 19 May 2009 23:55 | Minotaur I | MARS, LP-0B | TacSat-3 / PharmaSat / AeroCube 3 / HawkSat I / CP6 | LEO | Success | |
2010 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
25 | 22 April 2010 23:00 | Minotaur IV Lite | Vandenberg, SLC-8 | HTV-2a hypersonic research spacecraft | Suborbital | Success | |
26 | 26 September 2010 04:41 | Minotaur IV | Vandenberg, SLC-8 | SBSS | SSO | Success | |
27 | 20 November 2010 01:25 | Minotaur IV HAPS | Kodiak Island, LP-1 | STP-S26 (FASTRAC-A / FASTRAC-B / FalconSat-5 / FASTSAT / O/OREOS / RAX) | LEO | Success | |
2011 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
28 | 6 February 2011 12:26 | Minotaur I | Vandenberg, SLC-8 | NROL-66 | LEO | Success | |
29 | 4 March 2011 10:09 | Minotaur-C | Vandenberg, SLC-576E | Glory, KySat-1, Hermes, and Explorer-1 [PRIME] | Failure [9] | ||
30 | 30 June 2011 03:09 | Minotaur I | MARS, LP-0B | ORS-1 | LEO | Success | |
31 | 11 August 2011 14:45 | Minotaur IV Lite | Vandenberg, SLC-8 | Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2b) | Suborbital | Success | |
32 | 27 September 2011 15:49 | Minotaur IV+ | Kodiak Island, LP-1 | TacSat-4 | MEO | Success | |
2013 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
33 | 7 September 2013 03:27 | Minotaur V | MARS, LP-0B | LADEE | HEO | Success | |
34 | 20 November 2013 01:15 | Minotaur I | MARS, LP-0B | ORS-3 (STPSat-3 along with 28 additional cubesats) | LEO | Success [10] [11] | |
2017 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
35 | 26 August 2017 06:04 | Minotaur IV | Cape Canaveral, SLC-46 | ORS-5 | LEO | Success | |
36 | 31 October 2017 21:37 | Minotaur-C | Vandenberg, SLC-576E | SkySat × 6, Flock-3m × 4 | Success | ||
2020 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
37 | 15 July 2020 13:46 | Minotaur IV | MARS, LP-0B | NROL-129 (USA 305 to USA 308) [12] | LEO | NRO | Success |
2021 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
38 | 15 June 2021 13:35 [13] | Minotaur I | MARS, LP-0B | NROL-111 (USA 316 to USA 318) [14] | LEO | NRO | Success |
2022 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
39 | 7 July 2022 06:01 [15] | Minotaur II+ | Vandenberg, TP-01 | Mk21A reentry vehicle [16] | Suborbital | AFNWC | Failure |
2024 | |||||||
Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
40 | 18 June 2024 07:01 [17] | Minotaur I | Vandenberg, TP-01 | Mk21A reentry vehicle [18] | Suborbital | AFNWC | Success |
Date and time (UTC) [19] | Rocket configuration | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Minotaur IV | Vandenberg, SLC-8 | NROL-174 | LEO | NRO |
May 2025 | Minotaur IV | Vandenberg, SLC-8 | USSF-261S-A (EWS-OD 1) [20] [21] | LEO | U.S. Space Force |
Sep 2025 | Minotaur IV | Vandenberg, SLC-8 | STPSat-7 [22] | LEO | U.S. Space Force |
Vandenberg Space Force Base, previously Vandenberg Air Force Base, is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the Western Range, and also performs missile testing. The United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 30 serves as the host delta for the base, equivalent to an Air Force air base wing. In addition to its military space launch mission, Vandenberg Space Force Base also hosts space launches for civil and commercial space entities, such as NASA and SpaceX.
Pegasus is an air-launched multistage rocket developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) and later built and launched by Northrop Grumman. Pegasus is the world's first privately developed orbital launch vehicle. Capable of carrying small payloads of up to 443 kg (977 lb) into low Earth orbit, Pegasus first flew in 1990 and remained 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) using a first stage wing and a tail to provide lift and altitude control while in the atmosphere. 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 (ATK) to create a new company called Orbital ATK, which in turn was purchased by Northrop Grumman in 2018.
Minotaur-C, formerly known as Taurus or Taurus XL, is a four stage solid fueled launch vehicle built in the United States by Orbital Sciences 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).
Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 6 is a launch pad and associated support infrastructure at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Construction at the site began in 1966, but the first launch didn't occur until 1995 due to program cancellations and subsequent repurposing efforts.
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) is a commercial space launch facility located at the southern tip of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island in Virginia, just east of the Delmarva Peninsula and south of Chincoteague, Virginia, United States. It is owned and operated by the Virginia Spaceport Authority.
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.
Antares, known during early development as Taurus II, is an American expendable medium-lift launch vehicle developed and built by Orbital Sciences Corporation with financial support from NASA under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program awarded in February 2008, alongside the company's automated cargo spacecraft, Cygnus. Like other launch vehicles developed by Orbital, Antares leveraged lower-cost, off-the-shelf parts and designs.
This comparison of orbital launch systems lists the attributes of all current and future individual rocket configurations designed to reach orbit. A first list contains rockets that are operational or have attempted an orbital flight attempt as of 2024; a second list includes all upcoming rockets. For the simple list of all conventional launcher families, see: Comparison of orbital launchers families. For the list of predominantly solid-fueled orbital launch systems, see: Comparison of solid-fueled orbital launch systems.
Cygnus is an expendable American automated cargo spacecraft designed for International Space Station (ISS) resupply missions. It was initially developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation with financial support from NASA under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. To create Cygnus, Orbital paired a pressurized cargo module, largely based on the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, built by Thales Alenia Space and previously used by the Space Shuttle for ISS resupply, with a service module based on Orbital's GEOStar, a satellite bus. After a successful demonstration flight in 2013, Orbital was chosen to receive a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract. A larger Enhanced Cygnus was introduced in 2015. Orbital Sciences merged into Orbital ATK in 2015; Northrop Grumman purchased Orbital ATK in 2018 and has continued to operate Cygnus missions. A further enlarged Mission B Cygnus is expected to be introduced in 2025.
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 Space 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.
Launch Pad 0 (LP-0), also known as Launch Complex 0 (LC-0), or Launch Area 0 (LA-0), is a launch complex at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island, Virginia, in the United States. MARS is located right next to the NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), which had run the launch complex until 2003. WFF still provides support services to MARS launches under a contract with the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Minotaur V is an American expendable launch system derived from the Minotaur IV, itself a derivative of the LGM-118 Peacekeeper, an intercontinental ballistic missile. It was developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation, and made its maiden, and to date, only flight on 7 September 2013 carrying the LADEE spacecraft for NASA. While Minotaur V is still likely active and available to fly, no further flights are scheduled as of May 2024.
The Minotaur III, also known as OSP-2 Target Launch Vehicle, Peacekeeper TLV, or OSP-2 TLV was an American rocket concept derived from the LGM-118 Peacekeeper missile. It was a member of the Minotaur family of rockets produced by Orbital Sciences Corporation and would have been used for long-range suborbital launches with heavy payloads. The Minotaur III was to be capable of launching 3,000 kilograms (6,600 lb) of payload 5,000 kilometres (3,100 mi) downrange. This role has been taken over by the near-identical Minotaur IV Lite and the lighter-lift Minotaur II.
The Athena II is an American small expendable launch system which was used for three launches between 1998 and 1999, and which was scheduled to return to service in 2012 but has not been flown again as of 2024. It is a member of the Athena family of rockets, along with the smaller Athena I.
Orbital ATK Inc. was an American aerospace manufacturer and defense industry company. It was formed in February 9, 2015 from the merger of Orbital Sciences Corporation and parts of Alliant Techsystems (ATK). Orbital ATK designed, built, and delivered rocket engines, military vehicles, firearms, autocannons, missiles, ammunition, precision-guided munitions, satellites, missile approach warning systems, launch vehicles and spacecraft. The company was acquired by Northrop Grumman on June 6, 2018. The former Orbital ATK operations were renamed Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems and operated as a division until January 1, 2020 when a reorganization merged the operations into the company's other divisions.
A small-lift launch vehicle is a rocket orbital launch vehicle that is capable of lifting 2,000 kilograms (4,400 lb) or less or under 5,000 kilograms (11,000 lb) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). The next larger category consists of medium-lift launch vehicles.
OmegA was a medium-lift to heavy-lift launch vehicle concept that spent several years in development by Northrop Grumman during 2016–2020, with that development substantially funded by the U.S. government. OmegA was intended for launching U.S. national security satellites, as part of the U.S. Department of the Air Force National Security Space Launch (NSSL) replacement program.
Minotaur VI is a proposed expendable launch system derived from the LGM-118 Peacekeeper ICBM. It is a member of the Minotaur rocket family and a higher-performance derivative of the Minotaur IV. The base Minotaur VI consists of a Minotaur IV+ rocket with an additional SR118 first stage motor for improved performance. Minotaur VI is optimized for low Earth orbit (LEO) missions, and can send 3,144 kilograms (6,931 lb) to such an orbit. The Minotaur VI+ variant, however, features a Star 37FM sixth stage and is primarily intended for higher-energy missions.