Orbital Successfully Launches Minotaur I Rocket Carrying TacSat-3 Satellite For U.S. Air Force

20 May 2009

Orbital Sciences Corporation successfully launched the Tactical Satellite-3 (TacSat-3) for the U.S. Air Force. The mission originated earlier today from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) launch facility at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, VA. At approximately 7:55 p.m. (Eastern), the rocket’s first stage ignited, beginning its flight into low-Earth orbit. Approximately 12 minutes later, the Minotaur I deployed the TacSat-3 spacecraft in its targeted orbit of approximately 285 miles (460 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface.

The mission was the 16th mission for the Minotaur program since its inception in 2000, all of which have been fully successful. It was also the third Minotaur I launch from the MARS facility, following the TacSat-2 and NFIRE missions conducted from the Eastern Virginia launch site in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Including the TacSat-3 mission, which carried four other smaller payloads, Minotaur I rockets have put a total of 30 satellites into orbit.

“We are very pleased with the results of this evening’s flight of the Minotaur I rocket, and are proud to be able to support the Air Force’s important work in the area of Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) systems,” said Mr. Ron Grabe, Orbital’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of its Launch Systems Group. “Following this successful launch, our Minotaur launch team’s focus will shift to the Minotaur IV vehicle, which will considerably extend the performance of the Minotaur family.”

Orbital will conduct the first two Minotaur IV flights later this year when it launches TacSat-4, the next in the Air Force’s series of smaller-sized tactical satellites, from Kodiak, AK, and the Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA.

The TacSat-3 spacecraft is designed to meet the growing need of U.S. forces for flexible, affordable and responsive satellite systems. The program is a joint effort of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate, Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center’s (SMC) Space Development and Test Wing, the Department of Defense’s ORS office, and the Office of Naval Research.

The overall launch service and management for the Minotaur I vehicle was provided by the Air Force SMC’s Space Development and Test Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, NM.