Conestoga 1620

Conestoga 1620 SLV

Mission Profile

The Conestoga 1620 was a four-stage all-solid American small launch vehicle developed by Space Services Inc. of America, representing an early attempt at privately funded, commercially operated small satellite launch services entirely outside the government sector. Standing 15.2 m tall with a 1.2 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 87,407 kg, it could deliver 890 kg to low Earth orbit using 2,774 kN of combined solid rocket thrust. Its single orbital attempt in October 1995 ended in failure due to an electrical malfunction shortly after liftoff, ending the Conestoga program while highlighting the early ambitions of the nascent commercial launch industry.