Orbital Minotaur VI - Manual (Page 21)

Minotaur IV • V • VI User’s Guide Section 2.0 – Minotaur IV Configurations
2.3.2. Upper Stage Propulsion
The Minotaur IV baseline Stage 4 motor is the Orion 38 (Figures 2.3.2-1). This motor was originally
developed for Orbital’s Pegasus program and is used on many other Orbital launch vehicles, including
Minotaur I. The Orion 38 motor provides the velocity needed for orbit insertion for the launch vehicle, in
the same manner as it is used on the Minotaur I. This motor features state-of-the-art design and materials
with a successful flight heritage. It is currently in production and is actively flying payloads into space, with
over 60 launches.
While the baseline Minotaur IV 4
th
Stage is the
Orion 38, the flexible Minotaur IV design allows for
a number of performance enhancements such as
replacing the Orion 38 with a STAR 48, adding a
5
th stage STAR 37 motor, and adding a Hydrazine
Auxiliary Propulsion System (HAPS) for precise
targeting or orbital insertion requirements. These
options are described in detail later in this section
as well as in Section 8.0.
Figure 2.3-1. Minotaur IV Expanded View Showing Orbital’s State-of-the-Art
Structures and Modular Architecture
Figure 2.3.1-1. GFE Peacekeeper
Stages 1, 2, and 3 Have an Extensive
Flight History with over 50 Launches
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