STARS-1 [Sandia] |
STARS-1 (WCRRF) [Sandia] |
STARS-2 [Sandia] |
STARS-4 (AHW-HGB-1A) [Sandia] |
The STARS (Strategic Target System) are modified Polaris-A3 missiles used mainly for simulating missile warheads for SDIO (and follow-on organisations BMDO and MDA). The STARS-1 is a refurbished Polaris-A3 missile with additional Orbus-1 as third stage. The STARS-2 features also the liquid fueled ODES (Operations and Deployment Experiments Simulator) fourth stage as a post-boost-module.
STARS is used for payloads on reentry trajectrories. The first four launches were made from Kauai, later launches were also conducted from the Kodiak launch complex.
With a Star-26 as fourth stage, modest orbital missions are possible. An orbital version for heavier payloads with a Castor-120 as first stage was also considered. Currently no plans for orbital missions are pursued.
The first flight from Kodiak was terminated, when a faulty signal activated the self-destruction system.
Both IFT-13C and IFT-14 targets were not intercepted, when the OBV interceptor failed to launch.
The STARS-4 vehicle used for the AHW mission was a modified version with a different boattail, grid stabilizers and a longer fairing.
Version | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 |
---|---|---|---|---|
STARS-1 | Polaris-A3 Stg. 1 | Polaris-A3 Stg. 2 | Orbus-1 | - |
STARS-2 | Polaris-A3 Stg. 1 | Polaris-A3 Stg. 2 | Orbus-1 | ODES / ? × R-4D |
STARS-3 | Polaris-A3 Stg. 1 | Polaris-A3 Stg. 2 | Orbus-1 | - |
STARS-4 | Polaris-A3 Stg. 1 | Polaris-A3 Stg. 2 | Orbus-1 | - |
STARS-5 | Polaris-A3 Stg. 1 | Polaris-A3 Stg. 2 | ? | - |
No: TypNo Type: Date: LS Payload
1 1 STARS-1 26.02.1993 * Kau LP-42 ARE 2N (FTU 1) 2 2 STARS-1 25.08.1993 * Kau LP-42 ARE 2H / Zodiac Beauchamp 3 1 STARS-2 22.07.1994 * Kau LP-42 ODF (9 Test objects, LEAP, MIT Test object, 4 Balloons) 4 2 STARS-2 31.08.1996 * Kau LP-42 MDT 2 5 3 STARS-1 09.11.2001 * F Kd LP-2 WCRRF (West Coast Risk-Reduction Flight) 6 4 STARS-1 15.12.2004 * Kd LP-2 ITF 13C Target 7 5 STARS-1 14.02.2005 * Kd LP-2 ITF 14 Target 8 6 STARS-1 24.02.2006 * Kd LP-2 FT04-1 Target 9 7 STARS-1 01.09.2006 * Kd LP-2 FTG-02 Target 10 8 STARS-1 25.05.2007 * F Kd LP-2 FTG-03 Target 11 9 STARS-1 28.09.2007 * Kd LP-2 FTG-03a Target 12 10 STARS-1 18.07.2008 * Kd LP-2 FTX-03 Target 13 11 STARS-1 05.12.2008 * Kd LP-2 FTG-05 Target 14 1 STARS-4 17.11.2011 * Kau LP-42 AHW-HGB FT-1A 15 2 STARS-4 25.08.2014 * F Kd LP-2 AHW-HGB FT-2 16 3 STARS-4 ? 30.10.2017 * Kau LP-42 CPS FE-1 17 4 STARS-4 ? 20.03.2020 * Kau LP-42 CPS FE-2 (C-HGB FT-2) 18 5 STARS-4 ? 21.10.2021 * F? Kd LP-2 CPS FE-3 Planned: Launch sites: Kd = Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Island, Narrow Cape, Alaska, USA / LP-1, LP-2 Kau = Kauai Test Facility (KTF) (Pacific Missile Range Facility), Barking Sands, Kauai, USA / LP-42