World roster → Northrop Grumman
Minotaur IV
Minotaur IV is an orbital launch vehicle currently flying operated by Northrop Grumman of Dulles, Virginia, 23.9 m tall, 1,735 kg to low Earth orbit, 4 stages.
| Operator | Northrop Grumman · Dulles, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Status | Currently flying |
| First flight | 2010 |
| Height | 23.9 m |
| Diameter | 2.34 m |
| Liftoff mass | 86 t |
| Stages | 4 |
| Payload to LEO | 1,735 kg |
| Engines | Peacekeeper solid stages + Orion 38 |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Reuse | Expendable — nothing is recovered |
| Launch sites | Vandenberg · Wallops · Kodiak |
Retired ICBM stages with a commercial upper stage. Government payloads only, by law — surplus missile motors cannot compete commercially.
About Northrop Grumman
Flies ISS cargo on Cygnus and keeps a family of solid-fuelled launchers derived from decommissioned missiles. Founded 1994. Official site.