Question 1

What rocket is launching ORS-5?

Accepted Answer

ORS-5 is launching on the Minotaur IV.

Question 2

Who is launching ORS-5?

Accepted Answer

ORS-5 is being launched by Orbital ATK, a commercial launch provider founded in 2015.

Question 3

Where is ORS-5 launching from?

Accepted Answer

ORS-5 is launching from Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is ORS-5 heading to?

Accepted Answer

ORS-5 is heading to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Question 5

Is the Minotaur IV reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Minotaur IV is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Minotaur IV flown?

Accepted Answer

The Minotaur IV has launched 5 times to date, with 5 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the ORS-5 mission?

Accepted Answer

Also known as SensorSat, the Operationally Responsive Space 5 (ORS-5) will perform surveillance on geostationary (GEO) satellites. The craft will provide a stopgap for the existing space based surveillance system (SBSS), since full replacements are not expected until after 2020. With a mass of approximately 100kg the solar powered craft will operate in low earth orbit at an altitude of 600km.

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

ORS-5

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Space Launch Complex 46

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions