Taurus rocket

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Taurus

Taurus 3210 launching ROCSAT 2 on May 20, 2004.
Fact sheet
Function	Orbital launch vehicle
Manufacturer	Orbital Sciences
Country of origin	USA
Size
Height	27.9 m (91.5 ft)
Diameter	2.35 m (7.7 ft)
Mass	73,000 kg (160,000 lb)
Stages	4
	Capacity
Payload to LEO	1,320 kg (2,910 lb)
Launch History
Status	Active
Launch Sites	Wallops Island LC-576E, Vandenberg AFB Cape Canaveral Kodiak Island
Total launches	8
Successes	7
Failures	1
Maiden flight	20:06 GMT, 21/12/89
First Stage - Castor 120
Engines	1 solid
Thrust	1,606.6 kN (361,177 lbf)
Specific Impulse	286 sec
Burn time	83 seconds
Fuel	Solid
Second Stage - Taurus-1
Engines	1 solid
Thrust	484.9 kN (109,012 lbf)
Specific Impulse	285 sec
Burn time	73 seconds
Fuel	solid
Third Stage - Pegasus-2
Engines	1 solid
Thrust	118.2 kN (26,570 lbf)
Specific Impulse	292 sec
Burn time	73 seconds
Fuel	solid
Fourth Stage - Pegasus-3
Engines	1 solid
Thrust	34.57 kN (7,770 lbf)
Specific Impulse	293 sec
Burn time	65 seconds
Fuel	solid

The Taurus rocket is a four stage, solid fuel launch vehicle built by Orbital Sciences Corporation. It is based on the air-launched Pegasus rocket from the same manufacturer. The Taurus rocket is able to carry a payload of around 1,350 kg into a low Earth orbit. First launched in 1994, it has successfully completed a total of six out of seven military and commercial missions.^[1]

[edit] Stages

The Taurus first stage, a Castor 120 made by Thiokol, is based on a Peacekeeper ICBM first stage. Stages 2 and 3 are Orion-50s (like the Pegasus-1 but without wings or stabilisers), and stage 4 is an Orion-38 like a Pegasus-3.^[2]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Product description on the Orbital Sciences website