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-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-3632	2 × Castor-4BXL 2 × Castor-4AXL	2 × Castor-4BXL	Castor-4BXL	Orion-50	Star-48V
Conestoga-5672	2 × GEM-40VN 2 × GEM-40	2 × GEM-40VN	GEM-40VN	Star-63V	Star-48V

Performance (kg)	LEO	LPEO	GTO	GEO	IP
Conestoga-1229	363	295		-
Conestoga-1379	770			-
Conestoga-1620	1179	1000		-
Conestoga-1669	1361			-
Conestoga-1679	1497	1250	920	-
Conestoga-3632	2141			-
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


WI	Wallops Island, LC-0A
F	Failure