Family-level launch record combining canonical variants, historical missions, public cadence forecasts, and available payload performance specs.
Historical missions are grouped by actual launch year. Forecast cadence uses family-level launch-rate rows.
| Year | Historical missions | Forecast launches |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2 | 0 |
| 2011 | 1 | 0 |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 2 |
| 2027 | 0 | 2 |
| 2028 | 0 | 2 |
| 2029 | 0 | 2 |
| 2030 | 0 | 2 |
| 2031 | 0 | 2 |
| 2032 | 0 | 2 |
| 2033 | 0 | 2 |
| 2034 | 0 | 2 |
| 2035 | 0 | 2 |
| 2036 | 0 | 2 |
Payload capacity by variant and target orbit when structured capacity rows are available.
| Variant | Orbit | Capacity | Altitude | Inclination | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Minotaur IV | LEO | 1,735 kg | Unknown | Unknown | Manual Minotaur IV public-performance fallback. |
Latest launched missions using variants in this family.
| Mission | Variant | Launch |
|---|---|---|
| STP-S29A | Minotaur IV | Apr 7, 2026 |
| NROL-174 | Minotaur IV | Apr 16, 2025 |
| NROL-129 | Minotaur IV | Jul 15, 2020 |
| ORS-5 Mission |
Canonical variants rolled up into this launch vehicle family.
| Variant | Stages | Missions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Minotaur IV | Not stated | 4 | Active |
Minotaur IV+ | Not stated | 1 | Retired |
Minotaur IV 2 | Not stated | 1 | Retired |
Minotaur IV H | Not stated | 1 | Retired |
| 2037 | 0 | 2 |
| 2038 | 0 | 2 |
| 2039 | 0 | 2 |
| 2040 | 0 | 2 |
| 2041 | 0 | 2 |
1 launch location represented.
| Year | Location | Launches | Confidence | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Vandenberg Space Force Base | 2 | 20% | Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback. |
| 2027 | Vandenberg Space Force Base | 2 | 20% | Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback. |
| 2028 | Vandenberg Space Force Base | 2 | 20% | Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback. |
| 2029 | Vandenberg Space Force Base | 2 | 20% | Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback. |
| 2030 | Vandenberg Space Force Base | 2 | 20% | Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback. |
| 2031 | Vandenberg Space Force Base | 2 | 20% | Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback. |
| 2032 | Vandenberg Space Force Base | 2 | 20% | Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback. |
| 2033 | Vandenberg Space Force Base | 2 | 20% | Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback. |
| 2034 | Vandenberg Space Force Base | 2 | 20% | Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback. |
| 2035 | Vandenberg Space Force Base | 2 | 20% | Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback. |
| 2036 | Vandenberg Space Force Base | 2 | 20% | Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback. |
| 2037 | Vandenberg Space Force Base | 2 | 20% | Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback. |
| 2038 | Vandenberg Space Force Base | 2 | 20% | Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback. |
| 2039 | Vandenberg Space Force Base | 2 | 20% | Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback. |
| 2040 | Vandenberg Space Force Base | 2 | 20% | Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback. |
| 2041 | Vandenberg Space Force Base | 2 | 20% | Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback. Site-year coverage backfill copied nearest prior site-rate row. |
Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback.
Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback.
Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback.
Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback.
Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback.
Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback.
Minotaur IV 2 |
| Aug 26, 2017 |
| LADEE Mission | Minotaur V | Sep 7, 2013 |
| Tacsat-4 | Minotaur IV+ | Sep 27, 2011 |
| STP S26 | Minotaur IV H | Nov 20, 2010 |
| SBSS | Minotaur IV | Sep 26, 2010 |
Upcoming mission rows with announced launch timing.
| Mission | Variant | Announced |
|---|---|---|
No forecasted missionsNo upcoming announced mission rows are linked to this vehicle family. | ||
Minotaur V | Not stated | 1 | Retired |
Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback.
Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback.
Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback.
Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback.
Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback.
Editable low-confidence Minotaur IV annual throughput fallback.
NROL-129 was the National Reconnaissance Office’s 54th launch since 1996 and its first launch on a Minotaur 4.
The solid rocket motors used to build the Minotaur 4 vehicle that flew on 2020-07-15 were cast between 1988 and 1990.
The Minotaur 4 can launch from austere sites and does not require a liquid fuel farm adjacent to the launch pad because it uses only solid motors.
The 2020-07-15 flight was the Minotaur 4’s first launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Island Facility.
Wallops Flight Facility hosted the launch of a Minotaur 5 rocket in September 2013 carrying NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) to study the lunar atmosphere and dust environment.
NROL-111, another National Reconnaissance Office mission, will launch in late 2020 from Wallops Island aboard a Northrop Grumman Minotaur 1 vehicle.
NROL-129, a National Reconnaissance Office mission, is scheduled to launch in spring 2020 on a Northrop Grumman Minotaur 4 from Wallops Island, Virginia.
Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems will launch a National Reconnaissance Office payload later 2019 using a Minotaur launch vehicle.
In October 2017, the Minotaur-C successfully launched a set of commercial imaging satellites for Planet.
Shea Ferring has participated in over 50 space missions using various launch vehicles, including Minotaur, Atlas V, Delta IV, Pegasus, and Falcon 9.