Taurus rocket
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| Taurus | |
 Taurus 3210 launching ROCSAT 2 on May 20, 2004. |
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| Fact sheet | |
|---|---|
| Function | Orbital launch vehicle |
| Manufacturer | Orbital Sciences |
| Country of origin | United States |
| 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]
Contents |
[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] List of launches
| Flight Number | Date | Vehicle Type | Payload | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 13, 1994 | ARPA Taurus | STEP Mission 0 & DARPASAT | Success |
| 2 | February 10, 1998 | Commercial Taurus, 92" payload fairing and 63" dual payload attach fitting | GFO & ORBCOMM (Satellites 11,12) | Success |
| 3 | October 3, 1998 | Air Force Taurus Configuration, 63" fairing, Peacekeeper Stage 0 | Space Technology Experiment (STEX) for National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) | Success |
| 4 | December 20, 1999 | Model 2110, 63" fairing, Castor 120 Stage 0 | KOMPSAT and ACRIMSAT | Success |
| 5 | March 12, 2000 | Air Force Taurus Configuration, 63" fairing, Peacekeeper Stage 0 | Multispectral Thermal Imager (MTI) | Success |
| 6 | September 21, 2001 | Model 2110, 63" fairing Castor 120 Stage 0 | Orbview-4/QuickTOMS | Failure |
| 7 | May 20, 2004 | Model 3210, 92" faring, Castor 120 Stage 0 | ROCSAT-2 | Success |
[edit] Planned launches
The Glory satellite will be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base aboard a Taurus XL vehicle. Launch is planned for 2009.[3]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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