Orbital Minotaur VI - Manual (Page 48)

Minotaur IV • V • VI User’s Guide Section 3.0 – General Performance
3.7. Collision/Contamination Avoidance Maneuver
Following orbit insertion and payload separation, the Minotaur final stage will perform a
Collision/Contamination Avoidance Maneuver (C/CAM). The C/CAM minimizes both payload
contamination and the potential for recontact between Minotaur hardware and the separated payload.
Orbital will perform a recontact analysis for post-separation events.
A typical C/CAM begins shortly after payload separation. The launch vehicle performs a 90° yaw
maneuver designed to direct any remaining motor impulse in a direction which will increase the
separation distance between the two bodies. After a delay to allow the distance between the spacecraft
and Stage 4 to increase to a safe level, the launch vehicle begins a “crab-walk” maneuver to impart a
small amount of delta velocity, increasing the separation between the payload and the final stage.
Following the completion of the C/CAM maneuver as described above and any remaining maneuvers,
such as separating other small secondary payloads or downlinking of delayed telemetry data, the ACS
valves are opened and the remaining nitrogen propellant is expelled to meet International Space Debris
guidelines.
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