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STARS

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 USA/ LP-1, LP-2
Kau = Kauai Test Facility (KTF) (Pacific Missile Range Facility), Barking Sands, Kauai, USA USA/ LP-42

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