Orbital Sciences [ORB] recently announced its successful launch of the first Minotaur IV rocket in support of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2 (HTV-2) program.
The mission originated from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., when the rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex-8 on April 22. The rocket flew a suborbital trajectory downrange over the Pacific and delivered the HTV-2 glide vehicle to the desired separation conditions, according to a statement released by Orbital.
The Minotaur IV is the newest in the Minotaur family of launchers that Orbital produces for the Air Force under the Orbital/Suborbital Program-2 contract. The new rocket is based on decommissioned Peacekeeper rocket motors that Orbital integrates and upgrades with modern avionics and other subsystems to produce a booster based on flight-proven hardware. It leverages the heritage of Orbital’s Minotaur I, Pegasus and Taurus space launch vehicles.
Minotaur IV utilizes three government-furnished solid rocket motors from decommissioned Peacekeeper ICBMs and, in certain configurations, a commercial solid rocket upper stage. Minotaur IV is capable of launching payloads up to 3,800 pounds to low Earth orbit.
For the HTV-2 mission, Orbital flew the three-stage Minotaur IV “Lite” version of the rocket to carry out the suborbital flight trajectory, according to the company.
The first orbital mission of the four-stage Minotaur IV configuration is expected to take place this summer, when it launches the Air Force’s Space Base Space Surveillance (SBSS) satellite.