Minotaur (rocket)

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Image:Minotaur-1 1.jpg The Minotaur I Rocket is an American solid fuel rocket designed to launch small satellites. It is built by Orbital Sciences Corporation and uses a Minuteman stage, combined with Pegasus upper stages. It is capable of putting up to 1280 lbm (580 kg) into LEO (100 nmi/185 km, 28.5 deg inclination).

The fourth launch of Minotaur I in September 2005 was a spectaular sunset launch, delivering a fast-growing cloud of colors, visible across the whole southern west coast of the United States. Local authorities reported being flooded with calls inquiring about the phenomenon.

[edit] Minotaur flights

Date (UTC)	Flight	Payload	Result
January 27 2000 03:03:06	1	JAWSAT (P98-1)	Success
		FalconSat1 / ASUSat1 / OCSE / OPAL
July 19 2000 20:09:00	2	Mightysat 2.1 (Sindri, P99-1) / MEMS 2A / MEMS 2B	Success
April 11 2005 13:35:00	3	XSS 11	Success
September 23 2005 02:24:00	4	Streak (STP-R1)	Success
April 15 2006 01:40:00	5	COSMIC (FORMOSAT 3)	Success

[edit] Minotaur IV

Orbital Sciences Corporation is currently developing the much more powerful Minotaur IV, which combines the government-furnished solid rocket motors from decommissioned Peacekeeper ICBMs with technologies shared with other Orbital-built launch vehicles, including the Minotaur I, Pegasus, and Taurus.

A Minotaur V five-stage version is also conceived with an additional upper stage for GTO and interplanetary missions.

[edit] External links

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List of expendable launch vehicles

Current:	Ariane 5 • Atlas V • Cosmos-3M • Delta II • Delta IV • Dnipro • Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle • H-IIA • Long March • Minotaur • Pegasus • Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle • Proton • Rockot • Soyuz • Taurus • Tsyklon • Zenit
Planned:	Angara • GX • H-IIB • Vega
Historical:	Ariane 1 • Ariane 2/3 • Ariane 4 • Atlas ICBM • Atlas II • Atlas III • Black Arrow • Delta III • Diamant • Energia • Europa • M-V • N1 • R-7 Semyorka • Saturn I • Saturn IB • Saturn V • Saturn INT-21 • PGM-17 Thor • Titan (I, II, III, IV) • Voskhod • Vostok