Taurus rocket

Infobox rocket

---

caption =Taurus 3210 launching ROCSAT 2 on May 20, 2004.
name =Taurus
function =Orbital launch vehicle
manufacturer =Orbital Sciences
country-origin = United States
height =27.9 m
alt-height =91.5 ft
diameter =2.35 m
alt-diameter =7.7 ft
mass =73,000 kg
alt-mass =160,000 lb
stages =4
LEO-payload =1,320 kg
alt-LEO =2,910 lb
status =Active
sites =Wallops Island
LC-576E, Vandenberg AFB
Cape Canaveral
Kodiak Island
launches =8
success =7
fail =1
first=20:06 GMT, 21/12/89
firstorbited =USA 101/USA 102
22:32 GMT, 13/04/94
stage1name =Castor 120
stage1engines =1 solid
stage1thrust =1,606.6 kN
alt-stage1thrust =361,177 lb_f
stage1SI =286 sec
stage1time =83 seconds
stage1fuel =Solid
stage2name = Taurus-1
stage2engines =1 solid
stage2thrust =484.9 kN
alt-stage2thrust =109,012 lb_f
stage2SI =285 sec
stage2time =73 seconds
stage2fuel =solid
stage3name = Pegasus-2
stage3engines =1 solid
stage3thrust =118.2 kN
alt-stage3thrust =26,570 lb_f
stage3SI =292 sec
stage3time =73 seconds
stage3fuel =solid
stage4name = Pegasus-3
stage4engines = 1 solid
stage4thrust =34.57 kN
alt-stage4thrust =7,770 lb_f
stage4SI =293 sec
stage4time =65 seconds
stage4fuel =solidThe Taurus rocket is a four stage, solid fuel launch vehicle built by Orbital Sciences Corporation. It is based on the air-launched Pegasus rocket from the same manufacturer. The Taurus rocket is able to carry a payload of around 1,350 kg into a low Earth orbit. First launched in 1994, it has successfully completed a total of six out of seven military and commercial missions. []

tages

The Taurus first stage, a Castor 120 made by Thiokol, is based on a Peacekeeper ICBM first stage. Stages 2 and 3 are Orion-50s (like the Pegasus-1 but without wings or stabilisers), and stage 4 is an Orion-38 like a Pegasus-3. []

List of launches

Planned launches

The Glory satellite will be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base aboard a Taurus XL vehicle. Launch is planned for 2009. [cite web |url=http://www.orbital.com/SatellitesSpace/ScienceTechnology/Glory/ |title=Glory |publisher=Orbital Sciences Corporation]

The OCO satellite also will be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base aboard a Taurus XL vehicle. Launch is planned for 2009. [cite web |url=http://www.orbital.com/SatellitesSpace/ScienceTechnology/OCO/ |title=Glory |publisher=Orbital Sciences Corporation]

Taurus 2

Orbital is developing Taurus 2, a medium-lift design with a first flight expected in December 2010. [cite web |url=http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/080630-busmon-delta-2.html |title=Delta 2 Rockets to Remain Competitive Until 2015 |last=Berger |first=Brian |publisher=Space News |date=2008-06-30]

References

External links

* [http://www.orbital.com/SpaceLaunch/Taurus/ Product description on the Orbital Sciences website]