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Minotaur I - NROL-66 - Feb 5, 2011
by
Skyrocket
on 27 Jan, 2011 14:47
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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?
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#1
by
simonbp
on 27 Jan, 2011 20:12
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Must be pretty small for an NRO payload; presumably a tech pathfinder of some sort?
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#2
by
faustod
on 03 Feb, 2011 07:16
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#3
by
Ben the Space Brit
on 03 Feb, 2011 10:38
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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?
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#4
by
Jim
on 03 Feb, 2011 11:11
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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
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#5
by
William Graham
on 03 Feb, 2011 11:35
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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
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#6
by
agman25
on 03 Feb, 2011 22:12
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#7
by
Skyrocket
on 03 Feb, 2011 22:32
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What is the yellow material covering the bottom part of the booster. Thermal insulation?
Yes
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#8
by
Jim
on 03 Feb, 2011 22:42
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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
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#9
by
Rocket Guy
on 04 Feb, 2011 02:54
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#10
by
Ben the Space Brit
on 04 Feb, 2011 07:41
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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!
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#11
by
edkyle99
on 04 Feb, 2011 14:44
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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
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#12
by
agman25
on 04 Feb, 2011 14:47
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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.
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#13
by
snowhole
on 04 Feb, 2011 17:08
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The VAFB site suggests launch window to be 4:26 am, is that local or UTC?
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#14
by
Rocket Guy
on 04 Feb, 2011 17:26
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Local time.
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#15
by
Art LeBrun
on 05 Feb, 2011 00:08
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Is the launch window length known?
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#16
by
William Graham
on 05 Feb, 2011 00:10
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Is the launch window length known?
I haven't seen anything. Drop zones suggest that it might be going to SSO, so the window could be instantaneous.
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#17
by
Art LeBrun
on 05 Feb, 2011 04:38
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Is the launch window length known?
I haven't seen anything. Drop zones suggest that it might be going to SSO, so the window could be instantaneous.
Thank you. Now if the clouds and fog can be kept at bay........
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#18
by
MikeMi.
on 05 Feb, 2011 09:27
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Will be avaible some webcast to look at this "pocket rocket"?
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#19
by
ksc_houston
on 05 Feb, 2011 09:34
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Is the launch window length known?
I haven't seen anything. Drop zones suggest that it might be going to SSO, so the window could be instantaneous.
Thank you. Now if the clouds and fog can be kept at bay........
Window open: 11:45 UTC / 3:35 a.m. PST / 6:35 a.m. EST
Launch time: 12:26 UTC / 4:26 a.m. PST / 7:26 a.m. EST
Window close: 15:35 UTC / 10:25 a.m. EST / 4:25 a.m. EST
In a case the launch is postponed on Feb. 5, there is a reserve slot at the same time on each of Feb. 6, 7 and 8.
Aimed at a polar obit, possibly sun-synchronous. It will probably be given the name "USA 225".
