Orbital Sciences successfully launched the first in a series of suborbital rockets from Vandenberg AFB, California, on 28 May, under the US Air Force's Orbital/Suborbital Programme Target Launch Vehicle (OSP TLV) programme.
The OSP TLV is the suborbital variant of rockets being developed using Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) motors, decommissioned following arms reduction treaties.
The vehicle used three Minuteman stages, in the original ICBM configuration. The first OSP Minuteman-based launcher, called Minotaur, was fired from Vandenberg on 25 January, on an orbital flight with 11 small satellites.
The Minotaur is based on two Minuteman missile stages with an upper stage from the OSC Pegasus air-launched satellite vehicle.
Source: Flight International