ait-2

Target missile. Year: 1999. Family: Minuteman. Country: USA. Manufacturer's Designation: MRTV. Popular Name: Medium Range Target Vehicle.

Vehicle for support of the USAF Airborne Intercept Technology program consisting of a Thiokol Castor IVB or Minuteman SR19AJ1 first stage, and a Minuteman II M57A1 second stage.

A front-end module housed the payloads, GPS, and SVC inertial guidance electronics. The payload is accomodated in a 96.5 cm fairing and can be oriented post-boost using an 8500 N-sec cold gas orientation system.

Manufacturer: Space Vector. Launches: 1. First Launch Date: 1999-09-15. Last Launch Date: 1999-09-15. Launch data is: continuing. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 500.000 kN (112,400 lbf). Total Mass: 14,500 kg (31,900 lb). Core Diameter: 1.02 m (3.34 ft). Total Length: 17.40 m (57.00 ft). Maximum range: 2,100 km (1,300 mi). Maximum speed: 15,480 kph (9,610 mph).

ait-2 Chronology

1999 September 15 - 21:00 GMT - Launch Site: Kodiak. Launch Vehicle: ait-2. LV Configuration: Castor-M57A1 ait-2.

Test mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF SMC. Apogee: 1,060 km (650 mi). References: 1823.

Bibliography and Further Reading

McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

Contact us with any corrections, additions, or comments.

Conditions for use of drawings, pictures, or other materials from this site..
To contact astronauts or cosmonauts.

© Mark Wade, 1997 - 2007 except where otherwise noted.

Encyclopedia Astronautica
topic index
0 - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - Ra - Re - Sa - Sf - Sp - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z