Minotaur V

Minotaur V
	The first Minotaur V at MARS before the launch of LADEE.
Function	Expendable launch system
Manufacturer	Northrop Grumman (Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems)
Country of origin	United States
Size
Height	24.56 m
Diameter	2.34 m
Mass	89,373 kg
Stages	Five
Capacity
Payload to GTO
Mass	532 kg
Payload to TLI
Mass	342 kg
Associated rockets
Family	Minotaur
Launch history
Status	Active, no planned launches
Launch sites	SLC-8, Vandenberg SFB; LP-0B, MARS; LP-1, Kodiak
Total launches	1
Success(es)	1
First flight	7 September 2013
First stage – SR-118
Powered by	1 Solid
Maximum thrust	2,200 kN (490,000 lbf)
Burn time	83 seconds
Propellant	Solid
Second stage – SR-119
Powered by	1 Solid
Maximum thrust	1,365 kilonewtons (307,000 lbf)
Burn time	54 seconds
Propellant	Solid
Third stage – SR-120
Powered by	1 Solid
Maximum thrust	329 kilonewtons (74,000 lbf)
Burn time	62 seconds
Propellant	Solid
Fourth stage – Star-48BV
Powered by	1 Solid
Maximum thrust	64 kilonewtons (14,000 lbf)
Burn time	84 seconds
Propellant	Solid
Fifth stage (Baseline) – Star-37FM
Powered by	1 Solid
Maximum thrust	47.26 kilonewtons (10,620 lbf)
Burn time	63 seconds
Propellant	Solid
Fifth stage (Optional) – Star-37FMV
Powered by	1 Solid
Propellant	Solid
	[edit on Wikidata]

Minotaur V is an American expendable launch system derived from the Minotaur IV, itself a derivative of the LGM-118 Peacekeeper ICBM. It was developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation, (now absorbed into Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems) and made its maiden flight on 7 September 2013 carrying the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer spacecraft for NASA.^[2] While Minotaur V is still likely active and available to fly, no further flights are scheduled as of April 2024.

Design[edit]

Minotaur V is a five-stage vehicle and is designed to place up to 630 kilograms (1,390 lb) of payload into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, or 342 kilograms (754 lb) on a trans-lunar trajectory.^[3] It consists of a Minotaur IV+, with a Star-37 as a fifth stage. Two variants are available, one with a spin-stabilized Star-37FM upper stage, and the other with a Star-37FMV capable of three-axis stabilization.^[3] The Star-37FMV upper stage is heavier, reducing payload capacity, but is more maneuverable.

Launch pads[edit]

Space Launch Complex 8 at the Vandenberg Space Force Base, Pad 0B at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), and Pad 1 of the Kodiak Launch Complex are all capable of accommodating Minotaur V. As of 2024^[update], the vehicle has only launched from MARS.^[4]

Launch history[edit]

The only Minotaur V occurred on 7 September 2013 at 03:27 UTC from Launch Pad 0B at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia. The payload for the maiden flight was the LADEE lunar exoatmosphere science spacecraft.^[5] While now separated from the LADEE spacecraft, both the fourth and fifth stages of the Minotaur V reached orbit, and are now derelict satellites in Earth orbit.^[6]

Flight number	Date (UTC)	Launch site	Payload	Orbit	Outcome
1	September 7, 2013 03:27	MARS LP-0B	LADEE	LTO	Success

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c "Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Launch" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
^ "Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Mission website". NASA. Archived from the original on 2010-03-29.
^ ^a ^b "Fact Sheet" (PDF). Minotaur V. Orbital Sciences Corporation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-03-11. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
^ Krebs, Gunter. "Minotaur-3/-4/-5 (OSP-2 Peacekeeper SLV)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
^ Stephen Clark (7 September 2013). "Moon mission hits snag after flawless late-night launch". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
^ Graham, William (6 September 2013). "Orbital's Minotaur V launches LADEE mission to the Moon". NASAspaceflight.com. Retrieved 8 September 2013.

[LADEEpresskit-1] "Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Launch" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 8 September 2013.

[2] "Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Mission website". NASA. Archived from the original on 2010-03-29.

[MTVFactsheet-3] "Fact Sheet" (PDF). Minotaur V. Orbital Sciences Corporation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-03-11. Retrieved 22 January 2013.

[4] Krebs, Gunter. "Minotaur-3/-4/-5 (OSP-2 Peacekeeper SLV)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 22 January 2013.

[sfn-20130907-5] Stephen Clark (7 September 2013). "Moon mission hits snag after flawless late-night launch". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 7 September 2013.

[nsf20130906-6] Graham, William (6 September 2013). "Orbital's Minotaur V launches LADEE mission to the Moon". NASAspaceflight.com. Retrieved 8 September 2013.

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v t e Orbital launch systems
List of orbital launch systems Comparison of orbital launch systems
Current	Angara 1.2 A5 Atlas V Ceres 1 1S Chollima-1 Electron Falcon 9 Block 5 Falcon Heavy Firefly Alpha Gravity-1 GSLV H-IIA H3 Hyperbola-1 Jielong 1 3 KAIROS^† Kaituozhe 2 Kinetica-1 Kuaizhou 1 1A 11 Long March 2C 2D 2F 3A 3B/E 3C 4B 4C 5 5B 6 6A 7 7A 8 11 11H LVM3 Minotaur I IV V C Nuri OS-M1^† Pegasus XL Proton-M PSLV Qaem 100 Qased RS1^† Shavit 2 Simorgh SLS Block 1 Soyuz-2 2.1a / STA 2.1b / STB 2-1v SSLV Starship Tianlong-2 Unha Vega original C Vulcan Centaur Zenit 3SL 3SLB 3F Zhuque 2
In development	Antares 330 Ariane 6 Bloostar Cyclone-4M Epsilon S Eris Gravity-2 Hyperbola-2 Irtysh Kuaizhou 21 31 Long March 9 10 12 Miura 5 MLV Neutron New Glenn New Line 1 NGLV OS-M 2 4 Orbex Prime Pallas-1 Red Dwarf SLS Block 1B Block 2 Soyuz-7 Terran R Tianlong-3 VLM Vega E Zero Zhuque 3 Zuljanah
Retired	Antares 110 120 130^† 230 230+ Ariane 1 2 3 4 5 ASLV Athena I II Atlas B D E/F G H I II III LV-3B SLV-3 Able^† Agena Centaur Black Arrow Conestoga^† Delta A B C D E G J L M N 0100 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 II III IV IV Heavy Diamant Dnepr Energia Epsilon Europa I^† II^† Falcon 1 Falcon 9 v1.0 v1.1 v1.2 "Full Thrust" Feng Bao 1 GSLV Mk I H-I H-II H-IIB Juno I Juno II Kaituozhe-1 Kosmos original 1 2/2I 3 3M Lambda 4S LauncherOne Long March 1 1D^† 2A 2E 3 3B 4A Mu 4S 3C 3H 3S 3SII V N1^† N-I N-II Naro-1 Paektusan^† Pilot-2^† R-7 Luna Molniya M L Polyot Soyuz original FG L M U U2 Soyuz/Vostok Sputnik Voskhod Vostok L K 2 2M R-29 Shtil' Volna^† Rocket 3 Safir 1 1A 1B Saturn I IB V Scout X-1 Blue Scout II^† X-2^† X-2M X-3 X-3M X-4 X-2B^† B A B-1 D-1 A-1 E-1 F-1 G-1 Shavit original 1 SLV Space Shuttle SPARK^† Sparta SS-520 Start-1 Terran 1^† Thor Able Ablestar 1 2 Agena A B D Burner 1 2 Delta DSV-2U Thorad-Agena SLV-2G SLV-2H Titan II GLV IIIA IIIB IIIC IIID IIIE 34D 23G CT-3 IV Tsyklon R-36-O original 2 3 Universal Rocket UR-500 Proton Proton-K Rokot Strela Vanguard VLS-1^† Zenit 2 2M 2FG Zhuque 1^†
Classes	Sounding rocket Small-lift launch vehicle Medium-lift launch vehicle Heavy-lift launch vehicle Super heavy-lift launch vehicle
This Template lists historical, current, and future space rockets that at least once attempted (but not necessarily succeeded in) an orbital launch or that are planned to attempt such a launch in the future Symbol ^† indicates past or current rockets that attempted orbital launches but never succeeded (never did or has yet to perform a successful orbital launch)

v t e Orbital launch systems developed in the United States
Active	Atlas V**^†† Electron Falcon 9 Block 5 Falcon Heavy Firefly Alpha Minotaur I IV V C Pegasus XL RS1^† SLS Block 1 Starship Vulcan Centaur
In development	Antares 330 Daytona Firefly Beta New Glenn Neutron Red Dwarf SLS Block 1B Block 2 Terran R
Retired	Antares 110/120/130/230/230+^††† Athena I II Atlas B D E/F G H I II III LV-3B SLV-3 Able Agena Centaur Conestoga Delta A B C D E G J L M N 0100 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 II III IV IV Heavy Falcon 1 Falcon 9 v1.0 v1.1 v1.2 "Full Thrust" H-I* Juno I Juno II LauncherOne N-I* N-II* Pilot Rocket 3 Saturn I IB V Scout Space Shuttle SPARK Sparta Terran 1 Thor Able Ablestar Agena Burner Delta DSV-2U Thorad-Agena Titan II GLV IIIA IIIB IIIC IIID IIIE 34D 23G CT-3 IV Vanguard
* - Japanese projects using US rockets or stages ** - uses Russian engines ^† - never succeeded ^†† - no new orders accepted ^††† - used Ukrainian first stage

Minotaur V

Design[edit]

Launch pads[edit]

Launch history[edit]

References[edit]

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