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.
Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) is a rocket launch site on Wallops Island on the Eastern Shore of Virginia,United States,just east of the Delmarva Peninsula and approximately 100 miles (160 km) north-northeast of Norfolk. The facility is operated by the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt,Maryland,and primarily serves to support science and exploration missions for NASA and other Federal agencies. WFF includes an extensively instrumented range to support launches of more than a dozen types of sounding rockets;small expendable suborbital and orbital rockets;high-altitude balloon flights carrying scientific instruments for atmospheric and astronomical research;and,using its Research Airport,flight tests of aeronautical research aircraft,including unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Lunar Precursor Robotic Program (LPRP) is a NASA program that uses robotic spacecraft to prepare for future crewed missions to the Moon. The program gathers data such as lunar radiation,surface imaging,areas of scientific interest,temperature and lighting conditions,and potential resource identification.
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 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 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.
The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer was a NASA lunar exploration and technology demonstration mission. It was launched on a Minotaur V rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on September 7,2013. During its seven-month mission,LADEE orbited the Moon's equator,using its instruments to study the lunar exosphere and dust in the Moon's vicinity. Instruments included a dust detector,neutral mass spectrometer,and ultraviolet-visible spectrometer,as well as a technology demonstration consisting of a laser communications terminal. The mission ended on April 18,2014,when the spacecraft's controllers intentionally crashed LADEE into the far side of the Moon,which,later,was determined to be near the eastern rim of Sundman V crater.
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.
HawkSat-1 was a single-unit CubeSat which was built and is being operated by the Hawk Institute for Space Sciences (HISS),Pocomoke City,Maryland. It is based on a Pumpkin Inc. CubeSat kit,and carries a technology demonstration payload,primarily as a proof of concept mission,testing command,data and power subsystems,as well as solar panels and communications.
CP6,also known as CP6 CubeSat,CalPoly CP-6,PolySat-6 or PolySat CP6 is a single-unit CubeSat which was built and operated by the California Polytechnic State University (CalPoly). It was primarily intended to perform a technology demonstration mission. The main experiment consisted of sensors to determine the spacecraft's attitude. Cameras on the satellite will be used to verify the data returned by the attitude sensors.
The Modular Common Spacecraft Bus (MCSB) is a fast-development,low-cost,general purpose spacecraft platform. Its modular design is intended to reduce the cost,complexity,and lead time on missions by providing a reliable,well-characterized system that can carry a variety of payloads. According to NASA,"the spacecraft is roughly one tenth the price of a conventional uncrewed mission and could be used to land on the Moon,orbit Earth,or rendezvous with near-Earth objects."
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.
The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) is a NASA mission that will test laser communication in space for extremely long distances,between Earth and geosynchronous orbit.
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.
The Virginia Spaceport Authority,formally better known as Virginia Space,is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia headquartered in Norfolk,Virginia focused on bringing commercial spaceflight to Virginia and providing education in aerospace technologies across the Commonwealth. Created in 1995 as the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (VCSFA) in the name of states' rights by the Virginia General Assembly,Virginia Space owns and operates the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island,located within the Wallops Flight Facility. The subdivision assumed its current name in April 2023.
