Model: Hera.

Hera

Target missile. Family: Minuteman. Other Family: Active. Country: USA. Status: Active.

Two stage vehicle used as a target for test of anti-ballistic missile systems. The vehicle consisted of surplus Minuteman 2 second and third stages (SR19AJ1 + M57A1).

In October 1992, the U.S. Army Space and Strategic Defense Command (USASSDC) awarded the HERA Theatre Missile Defense (TMD) contract to the team of Coleman Aerospace Corporation (prime contractor), Space Vector Corporation (subcontractor) and Aerotherm Corporation (subcontractor). The HERA program provided the Army with a total of twenty-five flight vehicles. A variety of vehicle configurations provided ballistic missile targets for ABM systems such as THAAD and PATRIOT. The HERA target was a two-stage vehicle consisting of modified second and third stage motors from the Minuteman II ICBM, new design Guidance and Control module, Motor Adapter module, and Aft Skirt, modified Minuteman Interstages, and an instrumented ballistic reentry vehicle. The target vehicles were launched from White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), New Mexico and Fort Wingate, New Mexico.

Manufacturer: Coleman. Launches: 24. Failures: 4. Success Rate: 83.33%. First Launch Date: 1995-04-24. Last Launch Date: 2007-10-27. Launch data is: continuing. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 267.000 kN (60,023 lbf). Total Mass: 11,360 kg (25,040 lb). Core Diameter: 1.32 m (4.33 ft). Total Length: 11.90 m (39.00 ft).

• Stage1: 1 x Minuteman 2-2. Gross Mass: 7,032 kg (15,502 lb). Empty Mass: 795 kg (1,752 lb). Motor: 1 x SR-19. Thrust (vac): 267.700 kN (60,181 lbf). Isp: 288 sec. Burn time: 66 sec. Length: 4.12 m (13.51 ft). Diameter: 1.33 m (4.36 ft). Propellants: Solid.

• Stage2: 1 x Hera-2. Gross Mass: 1,900 kg (4,100 lb). Empty Mass: 300 kg (660 lb). Motor: 1 x M57A1. Thrust (vac): 76.000 kN (17,085 lbf). Burn time: 59 sec. Length: 2.10 m (6.80 ft). Diameter: 0.97 m (3.18 ft). Propellants: Solid.

1995 April 24 - White Sands LC32. Hera 1 BRV/Propulsion Test Target mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 275 km (170 mi).

1995 October 2 - White Sands LC94. Hera 2 BRV/THAAD Demo Target mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

1996 February 2 - White Sands LC94. Hera 3 BRV/Piledriver Demo Target mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 89 km (55 mi).

1996 March 22 - White Sands LC94. Hera 4 BRV/THAAD Target mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

1996 July 15 - 11:28 GMT - White Sands LC94. Hera 5 BRV/THAAD Target mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

1996 October 9 - White Sands LC94. Hera 6 BRV/THAAD RST-1 Target mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 309 km (192 mi).

1997 March 6 - White Sands LC94. Hera 7 BRV/THAAD Target mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

1997 November 17 - Fort Wingate LC96. Hera 8 FAILURE: Failure. MTV Agency: USA. Apogee: 70 km (43 mi).

1998 March 2 - Fort Wingate LC96. Hera 9 MBRV-3 Target mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 60 km (37 mi).

1998 May 12 - 11:22 GMT - White Sands LC94. Hera 10 BRV/THAAD Target mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

1998 December 14 - Fort Wingate LC96. Hera 11 FAILURE: Failure. PAC-3 SCF Target mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 70 km (43 mi).

1999 March 15 - 13:55 GMT - Fort Wingate LC96. Hera 12 BRV/PAC-3 SCF Target mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 94 km (58 mi).

1999 March 29 - 12:06 GMT - White Sands LC94. Hera 13 BRV/THAAD Target 4 Target mission Agency: USA?. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

1999 May 25 - 11:14 GMT - Fort Wingate LC96. Hera 14 FAILURE: Failure. BRV/THAAD Target 5 Target mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 92 km (57 mi).

1999 June 10 - 11:07 GMT - White Sands LC94. Hera 15 BRV/THAAD Target 6 Target mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 314 km (195 mi).

1999 August 2 - 11:37 GMT - White Sands LC94. Hera 16 BRV/THAAD Target mission Agency: USA. Apogee: 270 km (160 mi).

1999 September 16 - 13:26 GMT - Fort Wingate LC96. Hera 17 BRV/PAC-3 DT-3 Target mission Agency: USA SMDC. Apogee: 95 km (59 mi).

2000 February 5 - 14:09 GMT - Fort Wingate LC96. Hera 18 MBRV-3/PAC-3 DT-5 Target mission Agency: USA SSDC. Apogee: 60 km (37 mi).

2001 March 31 - Fort Wingate LC96. Hera 19/MBRV-3 MBRV-3/PAC-3 DT-8a Target mission Agency: USA SSDC. Apogee: 114 km (70 mi).

2001 July 9 - Fort Wingate LC96. Hera 20/MBRV-1E MBRV-1E/PAC DT/OT-9a Target mission Agency: USA SSDC. Apogee: 145 km (90 mi).

2002 March 21 - 14:09 GMT - Fort Wingate LC96. Hera 21/MBRV-3 PAC-3 OT/DT-1 Target mission Agency: USA SSDC. Apogee: 114 km (70 mi).

2006 July 12 - 11:17 GMT - White Sands LC94. Hera BRV THAAD Target FTT-4? Agency: USA MDA. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

2006 September 13 - 10:30 GMT - White Sands LC94. Hera BRV Sep? FAILURE: Failure. THAAD Target FTT-5? Agency: USA MDA. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

2007 October 27 - 07:14 GMT - Barking Sands -. THAAD Target Agency: USA. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).