NFIRE

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

06:48:00

Tuesday April 24, 2007

Watch Replay

Official Livestream

Mission Details

NFIRE

Wiki

The Near Field Infrared Experiment (NFIRE) is a satellite which was proposed and developed by the Missile Defense Agency, a division of the United States Department of Defense. Though primarily designed to gather data on exhaust plumes from rockets, the satellite was also intended to contain a kill vehicle similar to kinds intended for the Strategic Defense Initiative. A missile was then to be fired at and nearly miss the instrumented kill vehicle. This feature was later removed.

Low Earth Orbit

1 Payload

494 kilograms

Rocket

Active
Minotaur I

Active Since 2000

Northrop Grumman logo

Agency

Northrop

Price

$40.00 million

Rocket

Height: 19.21m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 580 kg

Liftoff Thrust

935 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 1.27m

Height: 3.79m

Stages

4

Launch Site

LP-0B

Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

Fastest Turnaround

73 days 21 hours

Stats

Minotaur I


7th

Mission

1st

Mission of 2007

2007


16th

Orbital launch attempt