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Conestoga-1000

Conestoga-1379
(Artist impression)
[EER/GDK]

Conestoga-1620
(METEOR) [EER]

Conestoga-1679
(Artist impression)
[NASA/GDK]

The Conestoga-1000 Series by EER was an attempt to create a small modular launch vehicle consisting of proven off-the-shelf components. While the Castor-4B formed the basic vehicle in multi-unit parallel mountings, different three axis stabilized upper-stages were planned, all based on Thiokol Star motors. A small hydrazine powered HMACS (Hydrazine Maneuvering and Attitude Control System) stage could also be added for increased performance and accuracy. More configurations, featuring stretched Castor motors were planned. After the first vehicle failed and the MSTI 5 satellite planned for the second mission was cancelled, the company ran out of money and the program was shelved.

Encoding system:

1. Digit = Type of core and cluster motors
     1 = Castor-4A/-4B
     2 = ?
     3 = Castor-4AXL/-4BXL
     4 = ?
     5 = GEM-40/-40VN

2. Digit = Number of strap-ons around core 
3. Digit = Type of upper stage
     0 = None
     1 = Star-37FM
     2 = Star-48V
     3 = Orion-50
     4 = ?
     5 = Star-48A
     6 = Star-63D
     7 = Star-63V
     8 = ?
     9 = HMACS
4. Digit = Type of 2nd upper stage
     0 = None
     1 = Star-37FM
     2 = Star-48V
     3 = Orion-50
     4 = ?
     5 = Star-48A
     6 = Star-63D
     7 = Star-63V
     8 = ?
     9 = HMACS
Version Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5
Starfire-2 Castor-4B - - - -
Starfire-3 2 × Castor-4B Castor-4B - - -
Conestoga-1229 2 × Castor-4B Castor-4B Star-48V HMACS -
Conestoga-1369 3 × Castor-4B Castor-4B

Star-63D

HMACS -
Conestoga-1379 3 × Castor-4B Castor-4B

Star-63V

HMACS -
Conestoga-1620 2 × Castor-4B
2 × Castor-4A
2 × Castor-4B Castor-4B Star-48V -
Conestoga-1669 2 × Castor-4B
2 × Castor-4A
2 × Castor-4B Castor-4B Star-63D HMACS
Conestoga-1679 2 × Castor-4B
2 × Castor-4A
2 × Castor-4B Castor-4B Star-63V HMACS
Conestoga-3420 2 × Castor-4BXL
2 × Castor-4AXL
Castor-4BXL Star-48V - -
Conestoga-3632 2 × Castor-4BXL
2 × Castor-4AXL
2 × Castor-4BXL Castor-4BXL Orion-50 Star-48V
Conestoga-3669 2 × Castor-4BXL
2 × Castor-4AXL
2 × Castor-4BXL Castor-4BXL Star-63D HMACS
Conestoga-3679 2 × Castor-4BXL
2 × Castor-4AXL
2 × Castor-4BXL Castor-4BXL Star-63V HMACS
Conestoga-5672 2 × GEM-40VN
2 × GEM-40
2 × GEM-40VN GEM-40VN Star-63V Star-48V
Performance (kg) LEO LPEO SSO GTO GEO MolO IP
Conestoga-1229 363 295 -
Conestoga-1369 -
Conestoga-1379 770 -
Conestoga-1620 1179 1000 -
Conestoga-1669 1361 -
Conestoga-1679 1497 1250 920 -
Conestoga-3420 -
Conestoga-3632 2141 -
Conestoga-3669 -
Conestoga-3679 -
Conestoga-5672 - 506
No:   TNo Type                  Date        LS            Payload

 1    1   Conestoga-1620        23.10.1995  WI LA-0A   F  METEOR


Flight 1:	self-destructed at 45 seconds after faulty navigation data produced extensive nozzle movements and depleted the TVC


Launch sites:

WI  = Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, USA USA/ LA-0A

F	Failure

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