Orbital Sciences Corp.’s Minotaur 1 rocket launched the Near Field InfraRed Experiment (NFIRE) spacecraft for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and U.S. Air Force, Orbital announced April 24. The mission originated from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport launch facility on Wallops Island, Va.

Built by General Dynamics, NFIRE is designed to gather data that will assist in the development of boost-phase intercept systems, including gathering data during the boost phase of launches.