Launch Vehicle Library Compiled by Patrick Blau Minotaur V Launch Vehicle The Minotaur V is an expendable launch system developed and operated by Orbital Sciences Corporation and the US Air Force. The launcher is based on the all-solid Minotaur IV launch vehicle which itself is based on the Peacekeeper Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. Peacekeeper was a land-based ICBM that began development in 1972. At the time, silo-based Minuteman ICBMs were being deployed by the US. The development of the R-36M missile by the Soviets gave the Soviet Union the theoretical the ability to destroy the US Minuteman ICBM facilities before retaliation would have been possible. This prompted the development of the Peacekeeper launcher that could also deliver warheads to orbit via a Post Boost Vehicle and Deployment Module to independently target the individual warheads. The first test launch of the Peacekeeper took place in 1983 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and the system was deployed in 1986. In 2003, the retirement process of the Peacekeeper was started and by September 2005, the last Peacekeeper was removed from alert status. Peacekeeper warheads are being deployed on Minuteman III missiles that is the only land-based ICBM currently in use by the United States. The Peacekeeper rockets themselves are being converted to orbital launch vehicles by Orbital Sciences. The rockets are converted by fitting them with a fourth stage (& optional 5th & 6th stages) and by installing Orbital’s enhanced avionics systems and advanced composite structures to facilitate its payloads. Image: Orbital ATK 1 Spaceflight101.com Launch Vehicle Library Launch Vehicle Library Compiled by Patrick Blau Combining the robust heritage components flown on the Peacekeeper and advanced avionics and support systems create a low-cost launch vehicle for use to support government-financed launches. To make the launch systems more flexible, Orbital Sciences developed different versions of the basic four-stage Minotaur IV. In its Minotaur IV+ configuration, the vehicle uses a the more powerful Star-48V upper stage instead of the Orion-38. Flying entirely without a fourth stage, Minotaur IV Lite can be used for sub-orbital flights. In the Minotaur V configuration, a Star 37 rocket stage is added to the IV+ four-stage stack for launches to trans-lunar trajectories and Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. A six-stage Minotaur VI version has also been conceptualized. Minuteman launch vehicles are operated from Space Launch Complex 8 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Launch Pad 1 at Kodiak Launch Complex (Alaska) and Pad 0B at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), Virginia. Minotaur IV has launched five times starting in April 2010. The Minotaur V version has not flown and its first launch is planned to be to deliver NASA’s LADEE spacecraft to a trans-lunar trajectory. Peacekeeper Test Launch Photo: US Air Force 2 Spaceflight101.com Launch Vehicle Library Launch Vehicle Library Compiled by Patrick Blau Minotaur V Specifications Type Minotaur V The Minotaur V launch vehicle stands nearly 24.5 meters tall with a diameter of 2.34 meters and a liftoff mass of about Launch Site Vandenberg, Kodiak, MARS 89,000 Kilograms. Height ~24.5m It uses the three stages of the Peacekeeper rocket designated Diameter 2.34m SR-118, SR-119 and SR-120. These stages are provided by the Launch Mass ~89,000kg US government and are used without any major modifications. Stages 5 Minotaur V uses two solid-fueled upper stages manufactured by Alliant Techsystems making it an all-solid launch vehicle. Stage 1 SR-118 Stage 2 SR-119 The fourth stage is an ATK Star 48 BV rocket motor and the fifth stage is the smaller Star-37 that can be flown in two different Stage 3 SR-120 configurations. Stage 4 Star 48 BV Stage 5 Star 37 (FM or FMV) Minotaur V can deliver small payloads to a variety of trajectories including Medium Earth Transfer Orbit, Mass to GTO 532kg Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit and Trans-Lunar Trajectories. Mass to MTO 650kg (CCAFS), 603kg (WFF) Mass to TLI 342kg Image: Orbital ATK 3 Spaceflight101.com Launch Vehicle Library Launch Vehicle Library Compiled by Patrick Blau First & Second Stage First Stage Type SR-118 (TU-903) Diameter 2.34m Length 8.4m Propellant Solid – HTPB Launch Mass 49,000kg Empty Mass 3,600kg Propellant Mass 45,400kg Guidance via Booster Control Module Propulsion TU-903 Thrust 2,224kN Burn Time 56.5sec Specific Impulse 229sec (SL), 284sec (Vac) Control Hydraulic Thrust Vector Control Second Stage Type SR-119 Diameter 2.34m Length 7.9m Propellant Solid – HTPB Launch Mass 27,700kg Empty Mass 3,200kg Propellant Mass 24,500kg Engine With extendable Exit Cone Guidance via Booster Control Module Thrust 1,223kN Burn Time 61sec Specific Impulse 308sec (Vac) Control Hydraulic Thrust Vector Control Image: Orbital ATK 4 Spaceflight101.com Launch Vehicle Library Launch Vehicle Library Compiled by Patrick Blau The first stage of the Minotaur V rocket is the first stage of the Peacekeeper that is flown without major modifications. SR-118 was manufactured by Thiokol and is also known as TU-903 and uses HTPB (Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene) based propellants. The first stage is loaded with 45,400kg of propellant that is consumed during the 56.5-second burn of the stage to provide 2,224 Kilonewtons of thrust (226,780 Kilograms). Control during first stage flight is provided by a hydraulic Thrust Vector Control System steered with actuator commands provided by the Booster Control Module that links the flight computer to the TVC system. The second Stage of the Minotaur launcher was manufactured by Aerojet and also uses HTPB-based propellant. It is 2.34 by 7.9 meters in size with a launch mass of 27,700 Kilograms. It closely resembles the design of the first stage and also uses a hydraulic Thrust Vector Control System that provides attitude control during the 61-second burn of the second stage. It provides a thrust of 1,223 Kilonewtons (124,710 Kilograms). Photos: Orbital ATK 5 Spaceflight101.com Launch Vehicle Library Launch Vehicle Library Compiled by Patrick Blau Third Stage Type SR-120 The SR-120 served as third stage of the Peacekeeper and is also used as the Minotaur third stage. Diameter 2.34m Length 2.44m SR-120 was manufactured by Hercules and uses NEPE Propellant Solid – NEPE propellant containing HMX with greater energy than Launch Mass 7,720kg ammonium perchlorate that is used in most composite Empty Mass 650kg HTPB propellants. Propellants containing HMX are not used on commercial launchers because of its explosive hazards, Propellant Mass 7,080kg but as a converted ballistic missile, Minotaur uses the Engine With extendable Exit Cone unmodified SR-120 with NEPE propellant. Guidance via Booster Control Module Thrust 289kN SR-120 is 2.34 meters in diameter, 2.44 meters long and has a total mass of 7,700 Kilograms. It burns for 72 seconds Burn Time 72sec and provides 289kN of thrust (29,470 Kilograms). It also Specific Impulse 300sec (Vac) uses a hydraulic thrust vector control system to provide Control Hydraulic Thrust Vector Control attitude control during its burn. After the third stage burn, the Minotaur usually performs a coast phase to reach higher altitudes so that the following upper stage burns can serve as circularization maneuvers and raise the perigee of the sub-orbital trajectory to achieve orbit. Photo: NASA 6 Spaceflight101.com Launch Vehicle Library Launch Vehicle Library Compiled by Patrick Blau Star 48BV Type Star 48BV The fourth Stage of the Minotaur V launcher is the Star- 48 Solid Rocket Motor built by Alliant Techsystems. The Launch Mass 2,164.5kg ATK Star 48BV is a solid-propellant upper stage that uses Diameter 1.24m the flight proven Star 48B and adds Thrust Vector Length 2.08m Capability (V). Propellant TP-H-3340 Star 48 was introduced in 1982 and has been used on a Propellant Mass 2,010.0kg variety of spacecraft. Star 48B was spin stabilized and Casing Mass 58.3kg had smaller a performance than the TVC capable version. Case Material Titanium Nozzle Mass 52.6kg The upper stage features a 1.24-meter diameter Avg Thrust 68.6kN titanium casing holding a total of 2,010 Kilograms of solid propellant. Max Thrust 77.8kN Isp 288s It is 2.08 meters in length and has a launch mass of 2,165 Throat Diameter 0.1011m Kilograms. It operates at an average thrust of 68.6 Kilonewtons (6,995kg) with peak thrust reaching 77.8kN Nozzle Diameter 0.7475m (7,930kg). Chamber Pressure 39.9bar (Avg) – 42.6bar (Max) Expansion Ratio 54.8 Star-48BV features the longer of two available nozzles for the conventional Star 48. The upper stage features Burn Time 84.1s an electromechanically actuated flexseal nozzle Thrust Ignition Delay 0.100s Vector Control System with a maximum nozzle gimbal of Attitude Control TVC +/-4° four degrees. Star-48 burns for 84 seconds. Roll ACS Star 48BV is the final stage of the Minotaur IV+ launcher and is capable of relatively precise insertions. On the Minotaur V, an additional fifth stage is installed to improve performance for highly elliptical and trans-lunar trajectories. Image: Orbital ATK 7 Spaceflight101.com Launch Vehicle Library Launch Vehicle Library Compiled by Patrick Blau Star 37 – Type FM or FMV Type Star 37FM Type Star 37FMV Launch Mass 1,148kg Launch Mass 1,170kg Diameter 0.93m Diameter 0.93m Length 1.69m Length 1.92m Propellant TP-H-3340 Propellant TP-H-3340 Propellant Mass 1,065.9kg Propellant Mass 1,063.8kg Casing Mass 32.25kg Casing Mass 32.25kg Case Material Titanium Case Material Titanium Nozzle Mass 44.91kg Nozzle Mass 34.02kg Avg Thrust 48.84kN Avg Thrust 47.3kN Max Thrust 55.6kN Max Thrust 54.8kN Isp 294s Isp 290s Throat 0.0894m Throat Diameter 0.0894m Diameter Nozzle 0.7483m Nozzle Diameter 0.6215m Diameter Chamber 37.2bar (Avg) – 44.3bar Chamber 37.2bar (Avg) – 44.3bar Pressure (Max) Pressure (Max) Expansion Ratio 70.0 Expansion Ratio 48.0 Burn Time 62.7s Burn Time 62.7s Ignition Delay 0.130s Ignition Delay 0.130s Attitude Control Nozzle TCV – +/-4° Stabilization Spin Stabilized – 60RPM Roll ACS Images: Orbital ATK 8 Spaceflight101.com Launch Vehicle Library Launch Vehicle Library Compiled by Patrick Blau The fourth Stage of the Minotaur V launcher is the Star-48 Solid Rocket Motor built by Alliant Techsystems.