Minotaur-C [SEP] manufacturer
Minotaur-C
Minotaur-C ("Minotaur Commercial"), formerly known as Taurus or Taurus XL, is a four stage solid fueled launch vehicle built in the United States by Northrop Grumman and launched from SLC-576E at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. It is based on the air-launched Pegasus rocket from the same manufacturer, utilizing a "zeroth stage" in place of an airplane. The Minotaur-C is able to carry a payload of around 1,350 kg into a low Earth orbit.
First
the first three stages of the Peacekeeper missile, combined with a new upper stage. On the baseline version, the fourth stage is an Orion 38. However a higher performance variant, designated Minotaur IV+, uses a Star-48V instead. A three-stage configuration (no Orion-38), designated the Minotaur IV Lite, is available for Suborbital trajectories. The Minotaur IV has also been flown with multiple upper stages. A five-stage derivative, the Minotaur V, made its maiden flight on 7 Sep 2013.
Minotaur IV