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Launch Vehicles
Vehicle family profile

Minuteman

Family-level launch record combining canonical variants, historical missions, public cadence forecasts, and available payload performance specs.

Manufacturer unknownActive
Admin
Variants
1
Canonical variants linked to this family.
Historical missions
12
Missions in the public mission table with actual launch dates.
Peak listed capacity
580 kg
Maximum payload capacity across listed variants and orbits.

Launch Cadence

Historical missions are grouped by actual launch year. Forecast cadence uses family-level launch-rate rows.

YearHistorical missionsForecast launches
200020
200520
200620
200710
200910
201120
201310
202110
202601
202701
202801
202901
203001
203101
203201
203301
203401

Performance Specs

Payload capacity by variant and target orbit when structured capacity rows are available.

VariantOrbitCapacityAltitudeInclinationSource
Minotaur I
LEO580 kgUnknownUnknownManual Minotaur I public-performance fallback.
Minotaur I
SSO331 kgUnknownUnknownMinotaur I page plus Northrop Grumman Minotaur I User Guide

Recent Missions

Latest launched missions using variants in this family.

MissionVariantLaunch
USA 316/317/318
Minotaur I
Jun 15, 2021
ORS-3/STPSAT-3
Minotaur I
Nov 20, 2013
ORS-1
Minotaur I
Jun 30, 2011
RPP

Variants

Canonical variants rolled up into this launch vehicle family.

VariantStagesMissionsStatus
Minotaur I
Not stated12Active
203501
203601
203701
203801
203901
204001
204101

Forecast Location Split

1 launch location represented.

YearLocationLaunchesConfidenceBasis
2026Vandenberg Space Force Base120%Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.
2027Vandenberg Space Force Base120%Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.
2028Vandenberg Space Force Base120%Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.
2029Vandenberg Space Force Base120%Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.
2030Vandenberg Space Force Base120%Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.
2031Vandenberg Space Force Base120%Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.
2032Vandenberg Space Force Base120%Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.
2033Vandenberg Space Force Base120%Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.
2034Vandenberg Space Force Base120%Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.
2035Vandenberg Space Force Base120%Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.
2036Vandenberg Space Force Base120%Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.
2037Vandenberg Space Force Base120%Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.
2038Vandenberg Space Force Base120%Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.
2039Vandenberg Space Force Base120%Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.
2040Vandenberg Space Force Base120%Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.
2041Vandenberg Space Force Base120%Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback. Site-year coverage backfill copied nearest prior site-rate row.
Vandenberg Space Force Base
2026 · 20% confidence
1

Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.

Vandenberg Space Force Base
2027 · 20% confidence
1

Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.

Vandenberg Space Force Base
2028 · 20% confidence
1

Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.

Vandenberg Space Force Base
2029 · 20% confidence
1

Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.

Vandenberg Space Force Base
2030 · 20% confidence
1

Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.

Vandenberg Space Force Base
2031 · 20% confidence
1

Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.

Vandenberg Space Force Base
Minotaur I
Feb 6, 2011
Tacsat 3 Mission
Minotaur I
May 19, 2009
NFIRE Mission
Minotaur I
Apr 24, 2007
Tacsat 2 Mission
Minotaur I
Dec 16, 2006
FORMOSAT 3 FM6
Minotaur I
Apr 15, 2006

Forecasted Missions

Upcoming mission rows with announced launch timing.

MissionVariantAnnounced

No forecasted missions

No upcoming announced mission rows are linked to this vehicle family.

Track
2032 · 20% confidence
1

Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.

Vandenberg Space Force Base
2033 · 20% confidence
1

Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.

Vandenberg Space Force Base
2034 · 20% confidence
1

Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.

Vandenberg Space Force Base
2035 · 20% confidence
1

Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.

Vandenberg Space Force Base
2036 · 20% confidence
1

Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.

Vandenberg Space Force Base
2037 · 20% confidence
1

Editable low-confidence Minotaur I annual throughput fallback.

Mentions
22
All verified mentions of this launch vehicle family in source documents.
0.0-5.0
Actions

The Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent program is an estimated $85,000,000,000 effort to replace the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.

FinancialPlanValue 4.6Jul 25, 2019Northrop’s strong grip on solid rocket motor market crippled Boeing in ICBM competition
Page2of2

The winner of the $85,000,000,000 Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program will produce hundreds of ICBMs to replace the Minuteman 3 nuclear missiles.

PlanFinancialValue 4.0Jun 27, 2018In the wake of Northrop-Orbital merger, Aerojet’s solid rocket engine business teetering on the brink