Minotaur II+

TLV+ Minuteman II derived

Mission Profile

The Minotaur II+ (TLV+, Minuteman II derived) was a three-stage American solid-fuelled suborbital launch vehicle in the Minuteman family, using retired Minuteman II ICBM motors for missile defence target vehicle missions. Standing 19.2 m tall with a 1.3 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 13 tonnes, it generated 980 kN of first-stage thrust. First flying in August 2007, the Minotaur II+ launched target vehicles from Vandenberg Air Force Base and the Pacific Missile Range Facility for missile defence testing.