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The Saturn IB(also known as the uprated Saturn I) was an American launch vehicle commissioned by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the Apollo program. It uprated the Saturn I by replacing the S-IV second stage,with the S-IVB. The S-IB first stage also increased the S-I baseline's thrust from 1,500,000 pounds-force (6,700,000 N) to 1,600,000 pounds-force (7,100,000 N) and propellant load by 3.1%. This increased the Saturn I's low Earth orbit payload capability from 20,000 pounds (9,100 kg) to 46,000 pounds (21,000 kg),enough for early flight tests of a half-fueled Apollo command and service module (CSM) or a fully fueled Apollo Lunar Module (LM),before the larger Saturn V needed for lunar flight was ready.
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.
The Titan IIIC was an expendable launch system used by the United States Air Force from 1965 until 1982. It was the first Titan booster to feature large solid rocket motors and was planned to be used as a launcher for the Dyna-Soar,though the spaceplane was cancelled before it could fly. The majority of the launcher's payloads were DoD satellites,for military communications and early warning,though one flight (ATS-6) was performed by NASA. The Titan IIIC was launched exclusively from Cape Canaveral while its sibling,the Titan IIID,was launched only from Vandenberg AFB.
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).
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 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.
Castor is a 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 Proton-M,(Протон-М) GRAU index 8K82M or 8K82KM,is an expendable Russian heavy-lift launch vehicle derived from the Soviet-developed Proton. It is built by Khrunichev,and launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Commercial launches are marketed by International Launch Services (ILS),and generally use Site 200/39. The first Proton-M launch occurred on 7 April 2001.
Antares,known during early development as Taurus II,is an expendable launch system developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation and the Pivdenne 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 the largest rocket operated by Northrop Grumman. Antares launches from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport and made its inaugural flight on April 21,2013. Antares 100 was retired in 2014 and series 200 was retired in 2023 due to component unavailability. As of January 2024 Antares 300 is under development.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Nuri,also known as KSLV-II,is a three-stage launch vehicle,the second one developed by South Korea and the successor to Naro-1 (KSLV-1). Nuri is developed by Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). All three stages use indigenously developed launch vehicle engines,making Nuri the first indigenously developed South Korean orbital launch vehicle.
Tronador is a series of Argentine rockets,including the Tronador I and Tronador II vehicles,to develop a liquid-propellant rocket expendable launch system called ISCUL.
The BE-3 is a liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen rocket engine developed by Blue Origin.
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.
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.
References
- 1 2 3 Northrop Grumman (2020-09-10). "Minotaur IV, V, VI User's Guide" (PDF). northropgrumman.com. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
- 1 2 3 Blau, Patrick (2017-02-02). "Minotaur V Launch Vehicle" (PDF). spaceflight101.com. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
- 1 2 Krebs, Gunter. "Minotaur-3 (OSP-2 Peacekeepr TLV)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
- ↑ Krebs, Gunter. "Minotaur-3/-4/-5 (OSP-2 Peacekeeper SLV)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-05-06.