Minotaur family

Minotaur IV

The Minotaur IV launch system is derived from the Peacekeeper ICBM. The first three stages are taken directly from decommissioned Peacekeeper missiles. A fourth stage, the Orion-38, is taken from the Pegasus family of air-launched rockets.

Flights flown71 scheduled

Success rate100%7/7

Payload to LEO1,735kg

Maiden flight2010-09-26

Peak year20102 flights

Minotaur IV is built by Orbital ATK of the United States. Company background, funding, contracts and news for this operator are tracked on Space Index. It first flew on 26 September 2010.

Flight record

8 records

100% success rate7 of 7 flown

2010peak 2010 · 2 flights2026

First flight2010-09-26

Latest flight2026-04-07

Failures0

Consecutive successes5

Fastest turnaround355d 16h

Payload

Per mission profile

Low Earth orbit	1,735kg

Vehicle

Stages	4
Length	23.9m
Diameter	2.35m
Launch mass	86t
Liftoff thrust	2,200kN
Maiden flight	2010-09-26
Reusable	No

Variant lineage

3 configurations

Each configuration of Minotaur IV is tracked separately upstream. The specifications above describe Minotaur IV only: the canonical configuration, chosen as the active one, or the most-flown where none is active. They are not a blend across the family. The flight record below covers every Minotaur IV flight.

Configuration	LL2 launches	LEO kg	Maiden	Status
Minotaur IV	5	1,735	2010-09-26	Active
Minotaur IV+	1	1,950	2011-09-27	Active
Minotaur IV HAPS	1	1,750	2010-11-20	Active

Pads used

4 pads

Space Launch Complex 84 Launch Pad 12 Launch Area 0 B1 Space Launch Complex 461

Orbits delivered

2 orbits

Low Earth Orbit4Sun-Synchronous Orbit1

Launch history

8 launches

Date	Mission	Pad	Orbit	Outcome
2026-04-07	Minotaur IV \| STP-S29A	Space Launch Complex 8	Low Earth Orbit	Success
2025-04-16	Minotaur IV \| NROL-174	Space Launch Complex 8	Unknown	Success
2020-07-15	Minotaur IV \| NROL-129	Launch Area 0 B	Low Earth Orbit	Success
2017-08-26	Minotaur IV \| ORS-5	Space Launch Complex 46	Low Earth Orbit	Success
2011-09-27	Minotaur IV+ \| TacSat-4	Launch Pad 1		Success
2010-11-20	Minotaur IV HAPS \| STP S-26	Launch Pad 1	Low Earth Orbit	Success
2010-09-26	Minotaur IV \| SBSS (USA-216)	Space Launch Complex 8		Success
TBD	Minotaur IV \| EWS OD-1	Space Launch Complex 8	Sun-Synchronous Orbit	Scheduled

Specifications from Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs, launch records from Space Index. Derived figures are computed here; see sources and method.