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Hera

Missile · USA

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

Hera
Hera

American target missile. 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.

More at: Hera.

Country
USA
Stages
M57A1, SR19
Agency
Coleman
Bibliography
2

Chronology

26 events

1995 April 24

Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC32. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • BRV/Propulsion Test Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 275 km (170 mi).

1995 October 2

Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC94. Launch Pad: FIX. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • BRV/THAAD Demo Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

1996 February 2

Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC94. Launch Pad: FIX. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • BRV/Piledriver Demo Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 89 km (55 mi).

1996 March 22

Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC94. Launch Pad: FIX. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • BRV/THAAD Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

1996 July 15

11:28 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC94. Launch Pad: FIX. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • BRV/THAAD Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

1996 October 9

Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC94. Launch Pad: FIX. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • BRV/THAAD RST-1 Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 309 km (192 mi).

1997 March 6

Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC94. Launch Pad: FIX. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • BRV/THAAD Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

1997 November 17

Launch Site: Fort Wingate. Launch Complex: Fort Wingate LC96. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera. FAILURE: Failure.
  • MTV - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 70 km (43 mi).

1998 March 2

Launch Site: Fort Wingate. Launch Complex: Fort Wingate LC96. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • MBRV-3 Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 60 km (37 mi).

1998 May 12

11:22 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC94. Launch Pad: FIX. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • BRV/THAAD Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

1998 December 14

Launch Site: Fort Wingate. Launch Complex: Fort Wingate LC96. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera. FAILURE: Failure.
  • PAC-3 SCF Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 70 km (43 mi).

1999 March 15

13:55 GMT - . Launch Site: Fort Wingate. Launch Complex: Fort Wingate LC96. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • BRV/PAC-3 SCF Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 94 km (58 mi).

1999 March 29

12:06 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC94. Launch Pad: FIX. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • BRV/THAAD Target 4 Target mission - . Nation: USA. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

1999 May 25

11:14 GMT - . Launch Site: Fort Wingate. Launch Complex: Fort Wingate LC96. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera. FAILURE: Failure.
  • BRV/THAAD Target 5 Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 92 km (57 mi).

1999 June 10

11:07 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC94. Launch Pad: FIX. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • BRV/THAAD Target 6 Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 314 km (195 mi).

1999 August 2

11:37 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC94. Launch Pad: FIX. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • BRV/THAAD Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: US Army. Apogee: 270 km (160 mi).

1999 September 16

13:26 GMT - . Launch Site: Fort Wingate. Launch Complex: Fort Wingate LC96. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • BRV/PAC-3 DT-3 Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USA SMDC. Apogee: 95 km (59 mi).

2000 February 5

14:09 GMT - . Launch Site: Fort Wingate. Launch Complex: Fort Wingate LC96. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • MBRV-3/PAC-3 DT-5 Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USA SSDC. Apogee: 60 km (37 mi).

2001 March 31

Launch Site: Fort Wingate. Launch Complex: Fort Wingate LC96. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • MBRV-3/PAC-3 DT-8a Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USA SSDC. Apogee: 114 km (70 mi).

2001 July 9

Launch Site: Fort Wingate. Launch Complex: Fort Wingate LC96. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • MBRV-1E/PAC DT/OT-9a Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USA SSDC. Apogee: 145 km (90 mi).

2002 March 21

14:09 GMT - . Launch Site: Fort Wingate. Launch Complex: Fort Wingate LC96. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • PAC-3 OT/DT-1 Target mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USA SSDC. Apogee: 114 km (70 mi).

2006 July 12

11:17 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC94. Launch Pad: FIX. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • THAAD Target FTT-4? - . Nation: USA. Agency: USA MDA. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

2006 September 13

10:30 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC94. Launch Pad: FIX?. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera. FAILURE: Failure.
  • THAAD Target FTT-5? - . Nation: USA. Agency: USA MDA. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

2009 March 25

13:25 GMT - . Launch Site: Fort Wingate. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • PAC-3 Target - . Nation: USA. Agency: MDA. Type: ABM Target. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). Target.

2009 September 16

13:40 GMT - . Launch Site: Fort Wingate. Launch Complex: Fort Wingate LC96. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • PAC-3 Target - . Nation: USA. Agency: MDA. Type: ABM Target. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

2009 October 15

Launch Site: Fort Wingate. Launch Complex: Fort Wingate LC96. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Hera.
  • PAC-2 Target - . Nation: USA. Agency: MDA. Type: ABM Target. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).