Vandenberg SFB announced launch window of NROL-174 mission for Wednesday afternoon
VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. – The launch of NROL-174 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base using a Northrup Grumman-developed Minotaur IV is scheduled for Wednesday, April 16 starting at 12:33 p.m.
This will be the first Minotaur IV launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base since 2011 as part of the NROL-66 mission shared the military installation in a press release about the launch on Tuesday.
The emblem below has been issued for the NROL-174 mission with the embedded quote in latin, "I Viam Inveniam" which translates to, "I Shall Find a Way".
Vandenberg Space Force Base warns that Central Coast residents may hear one or more sonic booms associated with the launch, but how far the sound reaches depends on weather and other conditions.
The Minotaur IV has four stages -detailed below in an image courtesy of the National Reconnaissance Office- and three of them use government-furnished solid rocket motors from decommissioned Peacekeeper Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles.
The Minotaur IV is capable of launching payloads of up to 3,814 pounds (1,730 kilograms) into low-Earth orbit and the platform made its maiden flight on April 22, 2010 shared Northrup Grumman.
