Minotaur III

Minotaur III
Function	Heavy suborbital launch system
Manufacturer	Orbital Sciences
Country of origin	United States
Size
Stages	Four
Capacity
Payload to 5000km S/O
Mass	3,000 kilograms (6,600 lb)
Launch history
Status	Canceled
Launch sites	Vandenberg SFB, SLC-8; PSCA, LP-1
Total launches	0
First stage – SR-118
Powered by	1 Solid
Maximum thrust	2,224 kilonewtons (500,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	229 s (2.25 km/s) (sea level)
Burn time	56.6 seconds
Propellant	HTPB
Second stage – SR-119
Powered by	1 Solid
Maximum thrust	1,223 kilonewtons (275,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	308 s (3.02 km/s)
Burn time	61 seconds
Propellant	HTPB
Third stage – SR-120
Powered by	1 Solid
Maximum thrust	289 kilonewtons (65,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	300 s (2.9 km/s)
Burn time	72 seconds
Propellant	NEPE
Fourth stage – Super-HAPS
Powered by	12 MR-107K
Propellant	Hydrazine
	[edit on Wikidata]

The Minotaur III, also known as OSP-2 Target Launch Vehicle, Peacekeeper TLV, or OSP-2 TLV was an American rocket concept derived from the LGM-118 Peacekeeper missile. It was a member of the Minotaur family of rockets produced by Orbital Sciences Corporation (now part of Northrop Grumman) and would have been used for long-range suborbital launches with heavy payloads.^[3] The Minotaur III was to be capable of launching 3,000 kilograms (6,600 lb) of payload 5,000 kilometres (3,100 mi) downrange.^[4] This role has been taken over by the near-identical Minotaur IV Lite and the lighter-lift Minotaur II.

Minotaur III launches would have been conducted from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and the Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska.

^ ^a ^b ^c Northrop Grumman (2020-09-10). "Minotaur IV, V, VI User's Guide" (PDF). northropgrumman.com. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
^ ^a ^b ^c Blau, Patrick (2017-02-02). "Minotaur V Launch Vehicle" (PDF). spaceflight101.com. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
^ Krebs, Gunter. "Minotaur-3 (OSP-2 Peacekeepr TLV)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
^ Krebs, Gunter. "Minotaur-3/-4/-5 (OSP-2 Peacekeeper SLV)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-05-06.

[guide-1] Northrop Grumman (2020-09-10). "Minotaur IV, V, VI User's Guide" (PDF). northropgrumman.com. Retrieved 2024-05-14.

[MinV-2] Blau, Patrick (2017-02-02). "Minotaur V Launch Vehicle" (PDF). spaceflight101.com. Retrieved 2024-05-15.

[gunters-3] Krebs, Gunter. "Minotaur-3 (OSP-2 Peacekeepr TLV)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-05-06.

[4] Krebs, Gunter. "Minotaur-3/-4/-5 (OSP-2 Peacekeeper SLV)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-05-06.

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