Minotaur I - NROL-66 - Feb 5, 2011

[Skyrocket]

On February, 5th a Minotaur-1 rocket will launch a classified satellite payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office from SLC-8, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The launch is called NROL-66

Has anyone heared of any info on the payload or the orbit?

[simonbp]

Must be pretty small for an NRO payload; presumably a tech pathfinder of some sort?

[faustod]

According to http://www.spaceflightnow.com/minotaur/nrol66/110202launchpreps/
the satellite is part of RPP (Rapid Pathfinder Program).

[Ben the Space Brit]

Getting a launch contract from NRO is a big coup for OSC.  I'm presuming it says very good things about the perceived reliability of Minotaur-I.  Have they launched any previous NRO payloads?

[Jim]

Getting a launch contract from NRO is a big coup for OSC.  I'm presuming it says very good things about the perceived reliability of Minotaur-I.  Have they launched any previous NRO payloads?

Yes

[William Graham]

Getting a launch contract from NRO is a big coup for OSC.  I'm presuming it says very good things about the perceived reliability of Minotaur-I.  Have they launched any previous NRO payloads?

Yes

That would be STEX on a Taurus in 1998

[agman25]

What is the yellow material covering the bottom part of the booster. Thermal insulation?


http://spaceflightnow.com/minotaur/nrol66/110203gallery/

[Skyrocket]

What is the yellow material covering the bottom part of the booster. Thermal insulation?

Yes

[Jim]

What is the yellow material covering the bottom part of the booster. Thermal insulation?


http://spaceflightnow.com/minotaur/nrol66/110203gallery/

The Minuteman silos were "air conditioned" to maintain the SRM's at a constant temperature so that the performance was always the same for each vehicle.  The yellow material is a jacket in which conditioned air is pumped in

[Rocket Guy]

And the "banana peel" as it's called rips off at liftoff. See photos 3, 4 and 5.
http://www.launchphotography.com/Minotaur_TacSat.html

[Ben the Space Brit]

What strikes me about the pictures from spaceflightnow is that they emphasise just how small the Minotaur is compared to liquid-fuelled LVs.  You could see one being launched from a V2-style mobile launcher!

[edkyle99]

What strikes me about the pictures from spaceflightnow is that they emphasise just how small the Minotaur is compared to liquid-fuelled LVs.  You could see one being launched from a V2-style mobile launcher!

Russia's Minuteman counterpart, Topol, does just that.  Several were used to orbit payloads under the START program, and those were launched from mobile launchers.  It was never clear to me why the U.S. did not develop a similar capability.

In terms of the solid/liquid size comparison, Falcon 1 is probably the best liquid comparison to Minotaur 1. 

Falcon 1 stands 21.3 meters, weighs 27.2 tonnes, and can carry 0.47 tonnes to 185 km x 9 deg from Kwajalein. 

Minotaur 1 is 19.21 meters tall, weighs 36.2 tonnes, and could boost 0.64 tonnes to 185 km x 28 deg if launched from Cape Canaveral.  It's a mighty little "pocket rocket".

- Ed Kyle

[agman25]

What strikes me about the pictures from spaceflightnow is that they emphasise just how small the Minotaur is compared to liquid-fuelled LVs.  You could see one being launched from a V2-style mobile launcher!

Russia's Minuteman counterpart, Topol, does just that.  Several were used to orbit payloads under the START program, and those were launched from mobile launchers.  It was never clear to me why the U.S. did not develop a similar capability.

 - Ed Kyle

I guess the Trident fills the mobile ICBM role.

[snowhole]

The VAFB site suggests launch window to be 4:26 am, is that local or UTC?

[Rocket Guy]

Local time.