Spaceflight Insider

News Archive / Tagged: Minotaur IV

  • Minotaur IV sucessfully sends NROL-129 into blue, Virginia skies

    Steve HammerJuly 15th, 2020

    Virginia based Northrop Grumman today launched classified mission NROL-129 for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) aboard a Minotaur IV rocket from launchpad 0B at The Mid Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), adjacent to NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia. The countdown clock was held at T-minus 16 minutes for 46 minutes, allowing for multiple […]

  • Northrop Grumman set to loft NROL-129 atop Minotaur IV

    Sean CostelloJuly 14th, 2020

    Teams from Northrop Grumman, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and the Mid-Atlantic Spaceport (MARS) are all reporting as being poised and ready to launch the NROL-129 mission tomorrow, July 15, 2020, atop a Minotaur IV rocket. Even the weather appears to be supportive, with the latest forecast indicating only a 10% chance of violating acceptable […]

  • Orbital ATK launches ORS-5 space surveillance satellite atop Minotaur IV

    Curt GodwinAugust 26th, 2017

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The Operationally Responsive Space 5 (ORS-5) spacecraft, alternately known as SensorSat, lifted off on an Orbital ATK Minotaur IV rocket at 2:04 a.m. EDT (06:04 GMT) Aug. 26, 2017, from long-dormant Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on the Florida coast. The satellite was placed into a low-Earth orbit (LEO).

  • SFI LIVE: USAF’s ORS-5 mission atop Orbital ATK Minotaur IV

    Jason RhianAugust 25th, 2017

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Orbital ATK is poised to launch one of the company’s Minotaur IV rockets from Cape Canaveral's SLC-46 in Florida on Friday, Aug. 25. The payload for this mission is the U.S. Air Force’s ORS-5 spacecraft, which will monitor satellites and debris to aid the U.S. military’s space situational awareness. SFI's Live Show will begin NET 12:30 a.m. EDT (04:30 GMT on Aug. 26).

  • USAF and Orbital ATK prepare for launch of ORS-5 mission

    Jason RhianAugust 23rd, 2017

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — With its Flight Readiness Review complete, an Orbital ATK Minotaur IV rocket sits poised to launch the U.S. Air Force’s Operationally Responsive Space (ORS)-5 satellite. ORS-5 is set to take to the skies from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex-46 (SLC-46) in Florida atop a Minotaur IV rocket late on August 25.

  • Pathfinder for Minotaur IV rocket stacked at SLC-46

    Derek RichardsonFebruary 13th, 2017

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — In an effort to ready Space Launch Complex (SLC) 46 for launching an Orbital ATK Minotaur IV rocket later this year, three inert pathfinder motors were stacked at the pad. Space Florida invited the media to see the completed stack on Feb. 12, 2017.