Update 8:04 PM EDT: Comments were added after the announcement of a successful launch.
Northrop Gramman started its first flight from California to Minotaur rocket in about 14 years. The onboard Char-Charan Minotaur 4 was the NROL-174 mission for the 4 rocket National Recinance Office.
Space launch took place from Complex 8 (SLC-8) at 12:33 PDT (3:33 PM EDT, 1933 UTC). The NRO did not indicate before launching that it would facilitate a vibrancy of the mission’s upside -down count or liftoff, however, a camera controlled by California University (UC) San Diego’s AlertCalifornia program caught climbing a layer of clouds.
As NRO is specific with missions, it is rarely known what is being sent to the classroom. In a prelonch press kit, the intelligence-accelerated agency stated that NROL-174 includes “many national security payloads designed, and operated by NRO.”
“The launch is a will that the National Security Launch Enterprise is capable of achieving,” Laura Robinson, NRO Office of Space Launch and NROL -174 Mission Director, said in a post -launch statement. “NROL-174 Minotaur IV Rocket was once a peacemaker ICBM, which looks at 24/7 in support of our country’s nuclear preventive. Now it was revised for space launch, it completed its final mission to place its final mission on orbit, which was a credit for the dedication of the decades.
The first three -phase of MINOTAUR 4 rockets include solid rocket motors from decomatic Peacekeeper Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMS) and the fourth phase is a commercial, solid rocket upper phase. The rocket is capable of launching the payload mass up to 1,730 kg (3,814 pounds) in low earth orbit.
The first Minotaur 4 rocket was launched from SLC -8 on April 22, 2010, and three Minotaur 4 rockets have been launched from there, recently on 6 February 2011 on NOL -66, when the rocket was managed by the Orbital Science Corporation.
The company merged with the defense and aerospace sectors of the Alliant Techcist on April 29, 2014.
MINOTAUR 4 rocket was purchased for the NROL-174 mission under the Rocket System Launch Program (RSLP). The program is under the Orbital/Subotint Program -3 Contract, which is managed by the US Space Force Space System Command (SSC).
“The RSLP is a short launch equivalent for SSC’s National Security Space Launch program and focuses on the small launch market,” NRA is written in a Prelach press kit. “RSLP mainly launchs more risk-to-diary experimental, research and development, responsible location and operational missions.”
The OSP-3 contract was established in late 2012 and the award-winning missions in November 2019 ended, which was a month after the OSP-4 contract was established.
The OSP-3 contract established an indefinite distribution, an uncertain distribution for launch capacity with a cap of $ 900 million. Each mission is launched using firm-fixed price contracts.
“Great launch. It was our third Minotaur launch for NRO since July 2020 and like then, it was the mission textbook … actually excellent,” said SSC’s materal leader Lieutenant Colonel Steve Hendarshot for RSLP. “We have a great relationship with our colleagues in NRO, and given today, you saw our team work, discipline and trust strong.”
Back across the country and again
One of the unique aspects of the Minotaur rocket program is that the vehicle is unknowable for the location.
On April 22, 2010, after making his subomobital debut in the Minotaur 4 Light Configuration, Orbital Science Corporation launched SLC -8 from SLC -8 in Wandenberg in September.
This was followed by the S26 (STP-S-26) Mission Department of Defense’s Space Test Program at Kodiak Launch Complex on November 19, 2010. It used Minotaur 4 rocket.
On August 11, 2011, another subORBIL flight was followed in SLC -8 using Minotaur 4 Lite, and then the TACSAT -4 mission launched the Minotaur 4+ configuration when launched from Kodiak on 27 September 2011.
On August 26, 2017, almost six years have gone before the next Minotaur 4 launch. This was the first launch of the rocket, which was then from Cape Canawral Air Force Station and its pad, Space Launch Complex 46 (the most recently used by Rocket 3 of Estra Space).
The last time a Minotaur 4 rocket flew, which was in the Middle-Autotentic regional spaceport at the southern end of NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. He was launched on Mission, NROL-129, July 15, 2020.
After the NROL-174 mission, there are at least two more launch of Minotaur rockets on books. The vehicle was assigned with the launch of the STP -29A, which was originally scheduled to fly in September 2024, and the USSF -261 S -A, which had a target launch date of May 2025.
The spaceflight has now asked the SSC what the timeline for those missions looks and is waiting to listen back.
