M55E1 explained

M55E1 is the designation of a United States solid fuel rocket that is used as the first stage of several expendable launch systems.

Uses

The M55E1 is used in the following systems:

• Minuteman III
• Minotaur

Earlier versions of the Minuteman used the M55A1 for the first stage.^[1] The US Army Homing Overlay Experiment also used the M551E1 as the first stage.^[2]

Key Facts

• Manufacturer: Thiokol
• First Launch: March 14, 1970
• Liftoff Thrust: 935,000 kN (210,196 lbf)
• Total Weight: 30,000 kg (66,000 lb)
• Diameter: 1.68 m (5.51 ft)
• Length: 16.0 m (52.00 ft)^[3]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ed. Kyle. Minuteman Launch Vehicle Flight History by Variant/Year (1959–2009). https://archive.today/20120911175129/http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/mmsum.txt. usurped. September 11, 2012. Space Launch Report.
2. Web site: Andreas. Pasch. Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles.
3. Web site: M55E1. Encyclopedia Astronautica. Mark. Wade. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080830050939/http://astronautix.com/lvs/m55e1.htm. 2008-08-30.