Company Celebrates Perfect 10-For-10 Record Over Last Six
Years
Orbital Sciences
Corporation announced Monday that its Minotaur I space launch
vehicle successfully delivered six small scientific satellites into
low-Earth orbit in a mission that originated from Vandenberg Air
Force Base (VAFB), CA on April 14. The space mission, known in the
United States as the Constellation Observing System for
Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC), consists of an array
of six small-sized remote-sensing satellites, collectively called
the FORMOSAT-3 program by its owner and operator, the National
Space Program Office (NSPO) in Taiwan.
The mission originated Friday evening at approximately 6:40 pm
PDT, when the Minotaur rocket ignited its first stage motor and
lifted-off from its West Coast launch site. Approximately 10
minutes later, the Minotaur I's fourth stage and satellites were
placed into their targeted orbit, approximately 500 kilometers
above the Earth's surface, inclined at 72 degrees to the equator.
Over the next nine minutes, the six satellites were separated from
the rocket's final stage one spacecraft at a time.
The FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC satellites were developed, manufactured
and tested under a collaborative project between Taiwan's civilian
space agency, the National Space Program Office; several agencies
of the US Government, including the National Science Foundation and
the US Air Force; and the University Corporation for Atmospheric
Research (UCAR). NSPO and UCAR selected Orbital in 2001 to jointly
develop and manufacture the six spacecraft, which are based on
Orbital's MicroStarTM product line.
Orbital reports that during the satellites' first several days
in space, the initial satellite in-orbit checkout process has been
progressing as planned. Once that's completed, the satellites will
be maneuvered to form a global constellation that will collect data
on the Earth's atmosphere that can be used to improve weather
forecasting, climate monitoring and understanding of the
ionosphere.
The Minotaur launch was the tenth consecutive successful flight
of the Minotaur family of space and suborbital launch vehicles
since the program's first flight in January 2000. Minotaur I space
launch vehicles have put a total of 20 satellites into orbit in
five fully successful missions. Minotaur II rockets have also
carried out five target vehicle missions in support of US missile
defense programs.
Friday's launch was also the fifth successful flight of the
Minotaur I space launch vehicle. In addition, the launch
demonstrated two "firsts," including being the first space launch
vehicle to use a new low-cost, lightweight Orbital Flight Computer
that was developed by the company in-house.
The FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC launch vehicle also incorporated a
low-cost telemetry subsystem that utilizes the US Government's
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). The TDRSS
telemetry system was flown on the Minotaur vehicle to provide
real-time telemetry once the launch vehicle was beyond the range of
ground-based receivers.