Minotaur IV | NROL-174
Launch Successful
L - -- : -- : -- : --
Launch Window
April 16, 2025, 7 p.m. - April 16, 2025, 9:26 p.m.
April 16, 2025, 7 p.m. - April 16, 2025, 9:26 p.m.
Classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.
Launch success
Apparent liftoff
Tweaked T-0.
GO for launch.
NET April 16.
The Minotaur IV 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.
Orbital ATK Inc. was an American aerospace manufacturer and defense industry company. It was formed in 2015 from the merger of Orbital Sciences Corporation and parts of Alliant Techsystems. Orbital ATK was purchased by Northrop Grumman in 2018.
INFO WIKI
A Falcon 9 core has now launched as many times as there are Merlins on a Falcon Heavy.
Minotaur IV Rocket Launches Classified NROL-174 Payloads from Vandenberg in Return to California Skies
The last Minotaur 4 launch from Space Launch Complex 8 was on Aug. 11, 2011. It is returning to that pad nearly a decade and a half later, targeting a liftoff at 12:33 p.m. PDT (3:33 p.m. EDT, 1933 UTC).
The mission, designated NROL-174, lifted off at 3:33 p.m. Eastern from Space Launch Complex 8 (SLC-8) at Vandenberg. The post Minotaur IV rocket launches spy payloads for National Reconnaissance Office appeared first on SpaceNews.
This week will see the worldwide launch cadence slow, with only four launches scheduled. SpaceX’s… The post Launch Roundup: Alpha ready for launch, Falcon 9 to launch cargo to ISS appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.
A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
13th test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle. Second flight of Starship V3. For the first time, Starship will carry 20 V3 Starlink sa…
Share-ride of 5 commercial Earth observation and technology demonstration satellites to SSO, including SpaceTY's TY-48. Details TBD.
Tianlian is a Chinese data tracking and relay communications geostationary satellite series. The TL 2 (Tian Lian 2) satellites represent the second g…
Carried 9 satellites on a share-ride to sun-synchronous orbit. Details TBD.
The Northrop Grumman/SpaceLogistics MRV-1 is a mission extension payload including a mission robotic vehicle (MRV) and multiple mission extension pod…
A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Note: Payload identities uncertain. Batch of 16 Rassvet-3 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Russian Byuro-1440 (Bureau 1440) conste…
First launch of Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-I launch vehicle. This first launch will carry 4 payloads: - Grahaa Space's SOLARAS S3 satellite - C…
Tranche 1 Transport Layer E is one of six missions by the United States Space Force Space Development Agency (SDA) for the Proliferated Warfighter Sp…