The Hercules three-stage Orion motor had a key part in the successful launch a few days ago of the first Taurus Standard Small Launch Vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., which carried two Department of Defense advanced technology satellites in polar circular orbits.
The four-stage Taurus expendable launch vehicle uses three Orion solid rocket motors manufactured at the Hercules Bacchus facility in Magna. Orion motors originally were developed in a joint venture between Hercules and Orbital Sciences Corp., Dallas, for the Pegasus small satellite delivery system.This three-stage motor is joined with Thiokol Corp.'s Peacekeeper first stage, which provides initial propulsion from the launch pad.
Ron Peterson, vice president and general manager of the Hercules Aerospace Co.'s Space/Strategic Propulsion business unit, said, "The Taurus launch confirms the versatility of our Orion motor designs."
He said the Pegasus launch system has a main wing with attach points to horizontally secure the vehicle under the wing of an airborne B-52. The vehicle is released and the three stages are air-ignited in sequence, delivering payloads into orbit.