Minotaur

Minotaur  

Under the U.S. Air Force Orbital/Suborbital Program-3 (OSP-3) contract, Orbital ATK integrates, tests and provides space launch services for the Minotaur I, IV, V, and VI family of rockets. Employing a combination of U.S. government-supplied rocket motors and Orbital ATK's proven commercial launch technologies, the Minotaur family of launchers provides low-cost and reliable access to space for government-sponsored payloads.

Minotaur I

Minotaur I is a four-stage solid fuel space launch vehicle utilizing Minuteman rocket motors for its first and second stages, reusing motors that have been decommissioned as a result of arms reduction treaties. The Minotaur’s third and fourth stages, structures, and payload fairing are common with our highly reliable Pegasus XL rocket and feature flight proven avionics systems. Minotaur I is capable of launching payloads up to 580 kg (1,278 lbs) into low Earth Orbit. To date, Minotaur I has conducted 11 missions with a 100% success rate, delivering 62 satellites into orbit.

Minotaur IV, V, and VI

Minotaur  

The Minotaur IV, V, and VI space launch vehicles leverage the flight-proven heritage of Orbital ATK’s Minotaur I, Pegasus, and Taurus space launch vehicles to provide an extremely cost-effective and capable space launch solution. Minotaur IV, which utilizes three government-furnished solid rocket motors from decommissioned Peacekeeper ICBMs and a commercial solid rocket upper stage, is capable of launching payloads up to 1,730 kg (3,814 lb.) to low Earth orbit. Minotaur V is an evolutionary version of Minotaur IV incorporating common structures with relatively minor changes to add a fifth stage. Minotaur V provides an extremely cost-effective capability to launch small spacecraft into high energy trajectories for geosynchronous Earth orbit and lunar missions. Minotaur VI builds on the flight-proven Minotaur IV vehicle adding a second Peacekeeper lower stage to create a five stage rocket capable of boosting payloads up to 2,600 kg (5,732 lb.) to low Earth orbit.

Minotaur-C

Minotaur 

The Minotaur-C space launch vehicle is a variant of the Minotaur product line designed to support U.S. government and commercial customers. Minotaur-C employs four Orbital ATK solid rocket motors as its propulsion system, all of which have been flown dozens of times and are thoroughly flight-proven in various combinations on the company's other small space launch vehicles, including Pegasus, Taurus and Minotaur, as well as on the Orbital Boost Vehicle (OBV) long-range missile defense interceptor. It will also incorporate numerous design features that are common with the Minotaur product line, such as the rocket's electrical power system, payload fairing, flight termination system, navigation sensors and RF components.