Minotaur I

OSP-SLV

Mission Profile

The Minotaur I (OSP-SLV) is a four-stage American small launch vehicle built by Orbital Sciences (now Northrop Grumman), combining decommissioned Minuteman II ICBM first and second stages with Orion 50XL and Orion 38 commercial solid upper stages for U.S. government and intelligence community missions. Standing 19.2 m tall with a 1.7 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 36,200 kg, it generates 1,600 kN of first-stage thrust and can deliver 580 kg to low Earth orbit. First flying in January 2000, the Minotaur I has launched numerous small military, intelligence, and university research satellites to precise orbital parameters at lower cost than commercial alternatives.