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Storm

American target missile. Two-stage Orbital Sciences vehicle used as targets in THAAD anti-ballistic missile tests. Consisted of a Sergeant first stage and Minuteman third stage as second stage. Twelve were launched January 1992 - December 1995.

Status: Retired 1995. First Launch: 1992-01-17. Last Launch: 1995-12-13. Number: 12 . Gross mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Diameter: 0.79 m (2.59 ft). Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

Historical Essay © Andreas Parsch

Orbital Sciences Storm I - Storm II

Storm is the name of a family of ground-launched target vehicles, which are built by Orbital Sciences Corp. (OSC) for tests of theater anti-ballistic missiles. The Storm vehicles are also referred to as BTTV (Ballistic Tactical Target Vehicle) or MTTV (Maneuvering Tactical Target Vehicle) rockets, depending on the characteristics of the actual reentry vehicle carried.

Storm I

Storm I is a two-stage solid-propellant rocket consisting of a Sergeant booster stage and an M57A1 upper stage (a third stage of a retired LGM-30 Minuteman ICBM). A total of twelve Storm I rockets have been launched between January 1992 and December 1995, either for vehicle validation or to to provide targets for THAAD (Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense) flight tests.

Storm II

The Storm II is a single-stage rocket using the SR19-AJ-1 second stage of retired LGM-30F Minuteman II ICBMs. It is normally flown as an MTTV, and as such uses the maneuvering reentry vehicles of discarded MGM-31 Pershing II missiles. The Storm II was first fired on 29 January 1997. It is equipped with a GPS-INS guidance and control system to achieve accurate flight paths, and can launch payloads weighing between 900 kg and 4260 kg (2000-9400 lb). At the time of this writing at least six Storm II rockets have been launched to provide targets for tests of the PAC-3 missile.

Specifications Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!

Data for Storm II (with Pershing II RV):

Length 10 m (33 ft)
Diameter 1.32 m (4 ft 4 in)
Weight (max. payload) 11340 kg (25000 lb)
Propulsion Aerojet SR19-AJ-1 solid-fueled rocket; 268 kN (60300 lb)

More at: Storm.
Family: anti-ballistic target. Country: USA. Launch Sites: White Sands, White Sands LC36, White Sands SULF. Stages: M57A1, Castor engine. Agency: OSC. Bibliography: 2.
1992 January 17 - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands SULF. Launch Vehicle: Storm.
1992 June 16 - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands SULF. Launch Vehicle: Storm. FAILURE: Failure.
1993 February 5 - . 16:24 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands SULF. Launch Vehicle: Storm.
1993 October 8 - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands SULF. Launch Vehicle: Storm.
1993 October 26 - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. Launch Vehicle: Storm.
1993 November 30 - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. Launch Vehicle: Storm.
1993 December 17 - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands SULF. Launch Vehicle: Storm.
1994 February 15 - . 16:18 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands SULF. Launch Vehicle: Storm.
1995 February 7 - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands SULF. Launch Vehicle: Storm.
1995 August 16 - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. Launch Vehicle: Storm.
1995 October 13 - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands SULF. Launch Vehicle: Storm.
1995 December 13 - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands SULF. Launch Vehicle: Storm.
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