EO·Atlas
Northrop Grumman Minotaur
Compiled from public sources on 2026-06-16. Not independently verified by Northrop Grumman.
Does Northrop Grumman own this listing? Claim and verify it →
Northrop Grumman Minotaur family of solid-fuel launch vehicles for U.S. government payloads, using decommissioned missile motors with commercial upper stages.
Northrop Grumman Minotaur is a solid-fuel launch-vehicle family for U.S. government-sponsored payloads. The service combines government-furnished decommissioned missile motors with Northrop Grumman commercial launch technologies, with Northrop Grumman as launch service provider and prime contractor.[1][2]
The family includes Minotaur I, IV, V, and VI: Minotaur I uses Minuteman motors, Minotaur IV uses three decommissioned Peacekeeper motors plus a commercial upper stage, and Minotaur V and VI extend the IV architecture for higher-energy or heavier LEO missions.[1][3]
Published lift capability spans up to 580 kg to LEO for Minotaur I, 1,730 kg for Minotaur IV, and 3,100 kg for Minotaur VI.[1] Minotaur I first flew in 2000, Minotaur IV first flew in 2010, and the family remained active in 2026, including the STP-S29A Minotaur IV launch from Vandenberg on 2026-04-07.[2]
- [1]Minotaur Rocket, Northrop Grummanoperator marketing-2026-06-16
- [2]Minotaur IV-VI User Guide, Northrop Grummanoperator engineering2020-09-012026-06-16
- [3]U.S. Space Force launches DoW STP-S29A missionagency doc2026-04-072026-06-16