In October 1992, the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) awarded the Hera Theatre Missile Defense (TMD) contract to the team of Coleman Aerospace Corporation (prime contractor), Space Vector Corporation (subcontractor) and Aerotherm Corporation (subcontractor).  The Hera program provided the Army with a total of twenty-five flight vehicles.  A variety of vehicle configurations provide users such as THAAD and PAC-3 threat like ballistic missile targets.  The Hera target is a two-stage vehicle consisting of modified second and third stage motors from the Minuteman II ICBM with an instrumented ballistic reentry vehicle.  At lift-off, Hera weighs just over 25,000 pounds and is 39 feet long.  The target vehicles are launched from White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) and Fort Wingate, New Mexico.

 These modules consist of the following:
    •  Guidance and Control Sections
     •  Motor Adapters
     •  Modified Minuteman Interstages
     •  Aft Skirts with and without tail fins and roll stabilization system

Various engineering services were provided during the development phase of the program.  Each module was outfitted with electrical and mechanical interfaces.  Several of the modules were designed with an ablative coating to protect the vehicle from reentry heating.  Multiple configurations of each major module type were designed, built and tested prior to delivery.  In addition, Space Vector provided ground and launch support equipment, launch support personnel, program management, systems engineering and Quality Assurance support to the Hera program.

Click here for a Hera Targets Brochure in a .pdf file format.