On September 27, 2011 Orbital successfully launched a Minotaur IV rocket carrying the TacSat-4 satellite. TacSat-4 is a Navy-led joint mission that utilizes Ultra High Frequency (UHF) channels, which can be used for any combination of communications, data ex-filtration, or Blue Force tracking.
The launch was the second Minotaur IV mission in less than two months, following the launch of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2 (HTV-2) in late September 2011. In total, there have been five Minotaur IV missions utilizing four different vehicle configurations since the vehicle's inaugural launch in April 2010.
For the TacSat-4 mission, the rocket will flew in the Minotaur IV+ configuration incorporating three government-furnished solid rocket motors and a commercial Star 48 solid fourth stage. The launch was the first launch of a Minotaur IV rocket in this configuration. The TacSat-4 mission was the 23rd to be carried out by Orbital's family of Minotaur vehicles over the last 11 years. All Minotaur missions since the program's initial launch in 2000 have been successful.
Orbital conducts Minotaur IV launches under the U.S. Air Force's Orbital/Suborbital-2 contract, which is managed by the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), located at Los Angeles Air Force Base, CA. The Space Development and Test Wing, based at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM, oversees Minotaur launches for SMC.
About Minotaur IV
The Minotaur IV is a four-stage space launch vehicle that utilizes flight-proven propulsion, avionics and other subsystems. It leverages the experience of the Air Force's Peacekeeper program, along with the extensive flight heritage of Orbital;s Minotaur I, Pegasus and Taurus space launch vehicles to produce a highly reliable launcher for U.S. government space programs. The standard space launch configuration of Minotaur IV is made up of three decommissioned Peacekeeper solid fuel rocket motors that Orbital has upgraded and integrated with modern avionics and other subsystems, and a solid fuel commercially-supplied upper stage. The Minotaur IV rocket is capable of launching payloads up to 4,000 lbs. to low-Earth orbit.
For more information
Minotaur IV web page
Minotaur IV fact sheet
Minotaur IV launch image
Office of Naval Research TacSat-4 Fact Sheet
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