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Aries
Part of Minuteman
Aries
Aries
Credit: via Andreas Parsch
American target missile. Space Vector Corporation developed and flew the Aries test vehicle (based on the Minuteman 1 second stage) for Strategic Defense Initiative payloads.

Status: Active. First Launch: 1973-10-17. Last Launch: 1996-07-09. Number: 47 . Thrust: 200.00 kN (44,960 lbf). Gross mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Height: 9.20 m (30.10 ft). Diameter: 1.16 m (3.80 ft). Apogee: 500 km (310 mi).

The Naval Research Laboratory contracted with Space Vector Corporation to develop a single-stage sounding rocket using surplus Minuteman I second stages. Informally called 'Fat Albert', the first was launched with a dummy payload on 17 October 1973.

The Aries mated the Aerojet M56 solid-propellant rocket stage to four fixed tail fins (surplus from retired Talos missiles) and a nose cone. Four gimbaled nozzles provided steering, keyed by a new guidance and control system. Since it was not an unguided rocket, the Aries could be launched from confined firing ranges. The Aries was later used by NASA to launch X-ray and UV telescopes into space. Maximum payload capacity was 1590 kg / 3500 lb. USAF and NASA launched more than 20 Aries rockets on scientific missions until the early 1990s.

The Aries was also used by the military as a target launch vehicle for tests of anti-ballistic missiles. The majority of these tests launched targets for the U.S. Navy's RIM-156B SM-2 Block IV A and RIM-161 SM-3 interceptor missiles. Until the end of 2004, a total of more than 50 Aries rockets had been launched, and use as a ballistic missile target vehicle is continuing. Prime contractor for Aries-type target boosters was later Orbital Sciences Corporation, which renamed the rocket the TTV (Target Test Vehicle).

Historical Essay © Andreas Parsch

The retirement of the U.S. Air Force's LGM-30A-B Minuteman I ICBM in the late 1960s and early 1970s made hundreds of high-performance solid-fueled rocket stages surplus. In 1971, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) realized, that the second stage of the Minuteman I could be used to create a powerful single-stage sounding rocket, and contracted Space Vector Corp. (SVC) to build this vehicle. The rocket was initially called "Fat Albert", but the name was soon changed to Aries. The first Aries was successfully launched with a dummy payload on 17 October 1973.

The Aries was essentially an Aerojet M56 solid-propellant rocket stage fitted with four fixed tail fins and a nose cone. The M56 was steered by four gimballed nozzles, and SVC developed a new guidance and control system which was more suited to sounding rockets than the one of the ICBM. Other than most sounding rockets, the Aries was thus a fully guided missile and could therefore be used from relatively confined firing ranges. It was also by far the most powerful single-stage sounding vehicle, and could lift a payload of 820 kg (1800 lb) to more than 320 km (200 miles). The highest apogee reached by an Aries was 512 km (318 miles).

After the first two Aries tests, the configuration was slightly changed. The tail skirt was altered and the original fins (which had been taken from surplus RIM-8 Talos missiles) were replaced by a new design. The Aries was used by NASA to launch especially large and heavy payloads above the atmosphere, like X-ray and UV telescopes. Maximum payload capacity was 1590 kg (3500 lb). USAF and NASA launched more than 20 Aries rockets on scientific missions until the early 1990s.

The Aries was also used by the military as a target launch vehicle for tests of anti-ballistic missiles. The majority of these tests launched targets for the U.S. Navy's RIM-156B SM-2 Block IV A and RIM-161 SM-3 interceptor missiles. Until the end of 2004, a total of more than 50 Aries rockets has been launched, and use as a ballistic missile target vehicle is continuing. Current prime contractor for Aries-type target boosters is Orbital Sciences Corporation, which is calling the rocket the TTV (Target Test Vehicle).

Specifications

Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!


More at: Aries.

Subtopics

ERIS American anti-ballistic missile. Flight test vehicle for Exoatmospheric Re-Entry Interceptor Subsystem, an anti-ballistic missile hit-to-kill interceptor warhead. The ERIS vehicle itself consisted of surplus Minuteman ICBM second and third stages.

M56A1 American single-stage target missile using Minuteman 1 second stage.

Family: ABM target. Country: USA. Launch Sites: Wallops Island, White Sands, Cape Canaveral, San Nicolas, White Sands LC36, Cape Canaveral LC20, Barking Sands, Kiruna, Barking Sands LC1, Eareckson, Kiruna A, Matagorda Island, Kodiak. Stages: M56A-1. Agency: Space Vector. Bibliography: 2.

1973 October 17 - . 21:03 GMT - . Launch Site: San Nicolas. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1974 June 18 - . 14:15 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1974 December 28 - . 06:00 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries. FAILURE: Failure.
1975 August 18 - . 12:45 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1976 March 30 - . 20:27 GMT - . Launch Site: Kiruna. Launch Complex: Kiruna A. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries. FAILURE: Failure.
1976 December 16 - . 01:10 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1977 January 26 - . 08:25 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1977 March 20 - . 19:22 GMT - . Launch Site: Kiruna. Launch Complex: Kiruna A. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1977 November 11 - . 04:00 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1978 June 12 - . 08:45 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1978 September 7 - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1979 January 28 - . 06:06 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1979 March 19 - . 22:57 GMT - . Launch Site: Kiruna. Launch Complex: Kiruna A. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1979 March 31 - . 22:29 GMT - . Launch Site: Kiruna. Launch Complex: Kiruna A. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1979 September 26 - . Launch Site: White Sands. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1980 May 21 - . 12:08 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1980 August 18 - . 09:50 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1980 September 20 - . 01:30 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1981 February 4 - . 01:10 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1981 April 27 - . 23:15 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1981 July 31 - . 10:50 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1982 January 23 - . 08:00 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1982 May 28 - . 15:47 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1982 June 18 - . 04:45 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1982 September 9 - . 10:17 GMT - . Launch Site: Matagorda Island. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1982 September 15 - . 04:49 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1983 October 25 - . 11:26 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1983 November 27 - . 23:15 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1986 August 24 - . 04:40 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries. FAILURE: Failure.
1986 September 5 - . 16:30 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1987 July 27 - . Launch Site: Eareckson. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1988 August 1 - . Launch Site: Eareckson. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1989 July 1 - . Launch Site: Eareckson. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1989 July 13 - . 08:30 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1990 April 27 - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1990 July 26 - . 05:51 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries. FAILURE: Failure.
1991 May 20 - . 07:30 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1991 August 20 - . 09:45 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC20. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries. FAILURE: Failure.
1991 October 14 - . 10:17 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC20. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1992 February 18 - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1992 June 19 - . 11:01 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1992 October 22 - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries. FAILURE: Failure..
1993 June 22 - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1993 August 28 - . 09:45 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries. FAILURE: Failure.
1994 February 25 - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1995 February 12 - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1995 March 4 - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1995 March 28 - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.
1996 July 9 - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Aries.

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