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Orbital Minotaur IV launches with multiple satellites

Orbital Sciences Corporation used their Minotaur IV launch vehicle to loft eight satellites for the United States Government and university research programmes on Friday night. The mission, designated STP S-26, launched from the Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska one minute into a 90-minute window, wit...

STP S-26

Overview

Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Mission: Dedicated Rideshare

Low Earth Orbit Launch Pad 1 Pacific Spaceport Complex, Alaska, USA

The third Minotaur IV launch, which was also known as STP-S26, deployed eight payloads (STPSat-2, RAX, O/OREOS, FASTSAT, NanoSail-D2, FalconSat-5, Sara-Lily (FASTRAC 1), Emma (FASTRAC 2)). STP-S26 was intended to extend previous standard interface development efforts, implementing a number of capabilities aimed at enabling responsive access to space for small experimental satellites and payloads.

Minotaur IV

Family:
Configuration: HAPS

The Minotaur IV HAPS launch system is derived from the Peacekeeper ICBM. The first three stages are taken directly from decommissioned Peacekeeper missiles. A fourth stage, the Orion-38, is taken from the Pegasus family of air-launched rockets. A fifth stage, consisting of a hydrazine-powered motor called HAPS, increases orbital insertion accuracy and allows additional orbital maneuvering.

Specifications
  • Stages
    5
  • Length
    23.9 m
  • Diameter
    2.35 m
  • Fairing Diameter
  • Launch Mass
    86.0 T
  • Thrust
    2200.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Minotaur IV
  • Family
  • Variant
    HAPS
  • Alias
    Peacekeeper SLV
  • Full Name
    Minotaur IV HAPS
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    1750.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Orbital Sciences Corporation

Orbital Sciences Corporation

(OSC)

Successes: 65 Failures: 7 Pending: 0

Agency Type:

INFO WIKI

Pacific Spaceport Complex, Alaska, USA

Launch Pad 1


Falcon 9
Success
1 day, 2 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-83
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 day, 6 hours ago
Starlink Group 15-4
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 26 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 3
Success
1 day, 13 hours ago
TJSW-19
Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Chinese classified satellite claimed to be for communication technology test purposes. Actual mission not known.


Long March 6A
Success
2 days, 18 hours ago
Yaogan 40 Group 02
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

3 Chinese reconnaissance satellites of unknown purposes, officially reported as for "Electromagnetic environment probing".


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 1 hour ago
Starlink Group 6-91
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 7 hours ago
Starlink Group 15-3
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 26 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week ago
Starlink Group 6-93
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Starlink Group 6-84
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
Starlink Group 6-75
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Firefly Alpha
Failure
2 weeks ago
FLTA006 (Message in a Booster)
Space Launch Complex 2W - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Sixth flight of the Firefly Alpha small satellite launcher, launching the demonstration mission for Lockheed Martin's new LM400 satellite bus, which …