ORS-1 Satellite Mission
Estimated Launch Date: Late 2010
In late 2010, the RRS Program will support its fourth Minotaur I orbital spacecraft launch from Wallops. This mission is for DoD's Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) office at Kirtland AFB and is called ORS-1. RRS is being funded by the USAF Space and Missile Systems Center's Space and Development Test Wing (SDTW) at Kirtland AFB, N.M.
The Minotaur 1 is a four-stage launch vehicle developed for the Air Force by Orbital Sciences Corporation and consists of two government supplies surplus Minuteman II stages plus two commercial stages. The main objective of the ORS-1 mission is to respond to a U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) 'urgent need' requirement. This includes the rapid design, construction, integration and test of a launch-ready space vehicle; demonstrating responsive launch operations within days of alert and providing real-time data collected from space to combatant commanders in the field.
The RRS personnel will provide tracking and telemetry data collection of the Minotaur launch vehicle during its trajectory. The staff will also coordinate the use of operating area airspace for the ascent to orbit and will provide frequency spectrum management during the launch. RRS support for this mission will include ground instrumentation at WFF plus two downrange sites and the coordination of flight vehicle and payload operations during the countdown, launch and orbit insertion.
NASA has benefitted from supporting SDTW for this and the prior three Minotaur I launches from WFF. These launches have helped in preparing RRS to support future orbital launches of NASA spacecraft from Wallops such as the planned Taurus II / COTS resupply missions to the International Space Station and the planned Minotaur V / LADEE mission to the Moon.
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