Photos: TacSat 4 encapsulation

The TacSat 4 satellite is the payload for the Minotaur 4 rocket's second flight from the Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska. TacSat 4 will be positioned in a unique elliptical orbit tailored for communications with mobile military units deployed in war zones. These images show the 992-pound satellite being encapsulated inside the Minotaur's 92-inch nose cone. Photos: Naval Research Laboratory/U.S. Air Force