On April 22, Vandenberg Air Force Base launched the Minotaur IV Lite into its maiden voyage at 4 p.m. from Space Launch Complex 8. The Minotaur carried the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV).
However, nine minutes after the Minotaur dropped the Falcon, officials lost contact with the unmanned vehicle. The problem led DARPA to label the mission a failure.
HTV-2’s purpose was to develop and demonstrate hypersonic technologies, which would help in innovating the capability to achieve a global-reach, according to DARPA.
Thirtieth Space Wing commander Col. David Buck was the launch authority for the mission.
The Minotaur missile family is provided by the Orbital/Suborbital Program 2, and the U.S. Air Force Space and Missiles System Center, Space and Development Test Wing’s Launch Test Squadron managed the launch.
According to a press release from DARPA, the Falcon HTV-2 will soar back through earth’s atmosphere at about Mach 20. The speed of Mach 1 will break the sound barrier.
This article appears in Apr 29 – May 6, 2010.