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Launching on Pegasus
 The
PEGASUS launcher has been developed as a dedicated launcher for small satellites by
Orbital Sciences Corporation (ORBITAL) and Hercules Aerospace Company. It is launched from
underneath a modified B-52 aircraft, and more recently an L1011 aircraft, at an initial
speed of mach 0.8, and can launch up to 450kg into Low Earth Orbit depending on the final
orbital height and inclination, and up to 100kg in GTO. The Pegasus-XL has replaced the
standard Pegasus launcher. The first two launches of this vehicle unfortunately failed,
but since then several XL's have been successfully launched. The movie below shows how the
pegasus launcher is carried, dropped and ignited.
[Rex II launch movie]
 Spacecraft
accommodation
  ORBITAL
employs an innovative method for its own spacecraft accommodation. The MicroStar based
platform spacecraft are disc shaped and can be stacked for multiple launches, making
optimum use of the available launcher volume.
   The spacecraft are load bearing and
can carry a launch adaptor. This concept is illustrated to the right using the 27th launch
with the MUBLCOM (ORBITAL) and Terriers (AeroAstro) platforms.
 Shown to the right is the SNOE/Batsat launch, with The MicroStar based
BATSAT spacecraft (taller than MUBLCOM) underneath, and SNOE mounted on the top adaptor.
Load bearing structure of stacked spacecraft had been successfully employed before on
the DSI Stacksat and MACSAT
missions (1990) on Atlas and SCOUT launches.
Capacity
| Launcher |
Capacity (kg) |
Orbit |
| Pegasus |
213 |
741km |
| Pegasus-XL |
341 |
741km |
Launch
history
| # |
Date |
Type |
|
Payload |
Orbit |
Comments |
| 1 |
5 Apr 90 |
B52 |
|
Pegsat
TERCEL/SECS |
|
|
| 2 |
17 Jul 91 |
" |
|
Microsat 1-7 |
|
failed to reach
intended orbit |
| 3 |
9 Feb 92 |
" |
|
SCD-1
OXP-1 |
|
|
| 4 |
25 Apr 93 |
" |
|
Alexis (P89-1B)
OXP-2 |
|
|
| 5 |
19 May 94 |
" |
|
Step-2 (P91-2) |
|
|
| 6 |
27 Jun 94 |
L1011 |
XL |
Step-1 (P90-1) |
|
Failed (Phanom slew) |
| 7 |
3 Aug 94 |
B52 |
|
APEX (P90-6) |
|
|
| 8 |
3 Apr 95 |
L1011 |
|
Orbcomm-1,2
MicroLab |
|
|
| 9 |
22 Jun 95 |
" |
XL |
Step-3 (P92-2) |
|
Failed (skid between
1st and 2nd stage) |
| 10 |
8 Mar 96 |
" |
XL |
REX-II (P94-2) |
|
|
| 11 |
16 May 96 |
" |
|
MSTI-3 |
|
|
| 12 |
1 Jul 96 |
" |
XL |
TOMS-EP |
|
|
| 13 |
21 Aug 96 |
" |
XL |
FAST |
|
|
| 14 |
4 Nov 96 |
" |
XL |
SAC-B
HETE |
|
Satellite failed to
deploy |
| 15 |
21 Apr 97 |
" |
XL |
MiniSat 0.1 |
587km, 151deg |
Launched from the
Canary isles (Spain) |
| 16 |
1 Aug 97 |
" |
XL |
OrbView-2 |
|
|
| 17 |
29 Aug 97 |
" |
XL |
FORTE |
800x807km,70deg |
|
| 18 |
22 Oct 97 |
" |
XL |
STEP-4 (P95-1) |
430x500, 45 deg |
|
| 19 |
23 Dec 97 |
" |
XL |
ORBCOMM 3-10 |
810km, 45 deg |
|
| 20 |
26 Feb98 |
" |
XL |
SNOE, BatSAT (T1) |
565km, SS 10:30 |
|
| 21 |
2 April 98 |
" |
XL |
TRACE |
600x650, SS |
|
| 22 |
2 Aug 98 |
" |
XL/HAPS |
ORBCOMM FM13-20 |
816x826, 45deg |
From Wallops |
| 23 |
23 Sep 98 |
" |
XL/HAPS |
ORBCOMM FM21-28 |
810km, 45deg |
From Wallops |
| 24 |
23 Oct 98 |
" |
H |
SCD-2 |
750km, 28 deg |
|
| 25 |
2 Dec 98 |
" |
XL |
SWAS |
638x651km, 69.9deg |
|
| 26 |
4 Mar 99 |
" |
XL |
WIRE |
620km |
From VAFB |
| 27 |
18 May 99 |
" |
XL |
MUBLCOM
TERRIERS |
755km
550km 97.5deg SS |
From VAFB |
| 28 |
4 Dec 99 |
" |
XL/HAPS |
ORBCOMM (7) |
820x840km, 45 deg |
from Wallops |
| 29 |
7 Jun 2000 |
" |
XL |
TSX-5 |
403x1704km 69deg |
From VAFB |
| 30 |
9 Oct 2000 |
" |
XL |
HETE-II |
637x650km 1.8deg |
From Kwajalein |
Expected
future launches
- All future launches are Pegasus-XL launched from the L1011. An up to date launch
manifest can often be found here.
| # |
date |
payload |
orbit |
comments |
|
|
|
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More:
[Pegasus
at OSC][Pegasus fact sheet
at AFMC]
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