Orbital Minotaur I - Manual (Page 68)

Minotaur I User’s Guide Section 7.0 – Ground and Launch Operations
7. GROUND AND LAUNCH OPERATIONS
Minotaur ground and launch operations processing minimizes the handling complexity for both launch
vehicle and payload. All launch vehicle motors, parts and completed subassemblies are delivered to the
Minotaur Processing Facility (MPF) from either Orbital’s Chandler production facility, the assembly/motor
vendor, or the Government. Ground and launch operations are conducted in three major phases:
a. Launch Vehicle Integration — Assembly and test of the Minotaur launch vehicle.
b. Payload Processing/Integration — Receipt and checkout of the payload, followed by integration
with the Minotaur launch vehicle interface, verification of those interfaces and payload
encapsulation.
c. Launch Operations — Includes transport of the upper stack to the launch pad, final integration,
checkout, arming and launch.
Figure 7-1 depicts the typical flow of hardware from the factory to the launch site.
Figure 7-1. Hardware Flow – Factory to Launch Site
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