Orbital provides the Minotaur II and III long-range target launch vehicles (TLVs) for the testing of missile defense systems and other U.S. Government-sponsored launch applications. The vehicles combine rocket motors from decommissioned ICBMs with Orbital’s flight-proven commercial subsystems to provide reliable, cost-effective target vehicles. All vehicles in the Minotaur family have common avionics architectures, software, ground support equipment and processes, providing the benefits of a shared heritage and continuity across multiple vehicles. They also benefit from Orbital’s unique background in the integration of surplus motors and state-of-the art avionics and control systems.
Minotaur II
The Minotaur II Target Launch Vehicle (TLV) is a flight-proven, highly flexible, reliable, and cost-effective target solution for strategic and medium range missile defense testing, as well as other suborbital missions. The Minotaur II vehicle is based on a combination of residual Minuteman II solid rocket motors and components and processes shared across the Minotaur-family of launch vehicles. To date, a total of eight Minotaur II launches have been conducted with 100% success.
Multiple configurations readily support varied target requirements, including ascent heated payloads, non-separating configurations, and deployment of multiple objects. The Minotaur II heavy configuration provides significant performance improvements with low risk, utilizing the same Orion 50XL Stage 3 motor from Orbital’s Minotaur I, Pegasus, Taurus, and OBV missile defense interceptor vehicles.
Minotaur III
The Minotaur III suborbital launch vehicle is designed to deliver payloads up to 3,000 kg (6,600 lbs) on long range, suborbital trajectories for various U.S. Government-sponsored applications. It utilizes residual Peacekeeper solid rocket motors combined with Orbital’s commercial launch vehicle technologies and is designed to be adaptable to a variety of potential payloads. A mono-propellant hydrazine propulsion fourth stage provides precision trajectory control for the highly accurate delivery of target or reentry systems for technology demonstration missions.
