Economic Benefits of Using Previously Procured Air Force Rocket Motors for the Minotaur-Family of Launch Vehicles

Abstract

SMC's Space Development and Test Wing (SDTW) Rocket System Launch Program (RSLP) has been providing reliable, economical launch services for government payloads since the 1970's based on the use retired and surplus operational rocket motors and subsystems. The SDTW is the Air Force's center for development, test and evaluation of space systems. As part of the SDTW's Space Test Group, the Launch Test Squadron (LTS) is tasked with providing low cost access to space in support of the wings mission. In particular, the LTS executes the RSLP, which uses deactivated ballistic missiles to provide a variety of Launch Vehicles (LV) and launch services in support of DoD and other Government organizations. It is the single manager for launch of deactivated Minuteman, Peacekeeper, and other ICBM assets, including storage, aging surveillance, and refurbishment of the assets, most of which are between 15 and 40 years old. Partnering with Northrop Grumman, Orbital Sciences Corporation (Orbital), and other Air Force units, the LTS has developed many low cost LVs to support various government agencies and missions. Most significant among the the LTS's various launch vehicles are the Minotaur family, developed jointly with Orbital. The Minotaur I launch vehicle, based on MinutemanII solid rocket motors, has been the primary RSLP Space Launch Vehicle (SLV) since it's first flight in January 2000. Following it's successful heritage, the Minotaur IV SLV is currently in development using retired Peacekeeper rocket motors and will provide approximately three times the mass to orbit of the Minotaur I. In addition to the use of motor assets previously procured and paid for by the U.S. Government, the Minotaur family vehicles benefit from employing state-of-the-art systems that Orbital uses on a variety of launch vehicles. This provides high reliability and cost savings through the use of common systems shared across multiple programs, extensive test and flight history, refined processes and procedures, and other symbiotic benefits.

Executive Summary of Propulsion on the Orion Abort Flight-Test Vehicles

“…28 There have also been over 50 flights on Peacekeeper motors from Vandenberg AFB, in California, with no propulsion failures. 28 Figure 24 shows a photo of the SR118 during static fire testing at ATK (Promontory, Utah).…”

“…28 There have also been over 50 flights on Peacekeeper motors from Vandenberg AFB, in California, with no propulsion failures. 28 Figure 24 shows a photo of the SR118 during static fire testing at ATK (Promontory, Utah). 28 Additional SR118 milestones were achieved with the integration and successful flight of three SR118 motors, which were each used as the initial stage on Orbital's Taurus space boosters for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the USAF SMC RSLP, in 1994, 1998, and 2000.…”

“…28 Figure 24 shows a photo of the SR118 during static fire testing at ATK (Promontory, Utah). 28 Additional SR118 milestones were achieved with the integration and successful flight of three SR118 motors, which were each used as the initial stage on Orbital's Taurus space boosters for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the USAF SMC RSLP, in 1994, 1998, and 2000. 29,30 In 2010, Orbital also successfully completed integration and successful flights of three SR118 motors, used as the first stage on their Minotaur IV booster.…”