Pegasus XL
ActiveOrbital Sciences Corporation (OSC)
June 27, 1994
Description
The Pegasus is an air-launched rocket developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation (now part of Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems). Capable of carrying small payloads of up to 443 kilograms (977 lb) into low Earth orbit, the vehicle consists of three solid propellant stages and an optional monopropellant fourth stage. Pegasus is released from its carrier aircraft at approximately 40,000 ft (12,000 m), and its first stage has a wing and a tail to provide lift and attitude control while in the atmosphere.
Specifications
-
Max Stage
3 -
Length
17.6 m -
Diameter
1.27 m -
Fairing Diameter
― -
Launch Mass
23.0 T -
Thrust
580.0 kN -
Apogee (Sub-Orbital)
4000.0 km
Family
-
Name
Pegasus XL -
Family
― -
Variant
― -
Alias
― -
Full Name
Pegasus XL
Payload Capacity
-
Launch Cost
$40000000 -
Low Earth Orbit
443.0 kg -
Geostationary Transfer
Orbit
― -
Direct Geostationary
― -
Sun-Synchronous Capacity
―
Orbital Sciences Corporation
Commercial
None
OSCUpcoming Spaceflights
Pegasus XL | Swift Rescue Mission
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
TBD June, 2026
Status: To Be Determined
Mission:
Contracted by NASA under the Small Business Innovation Research Phase 3 contract, Katalyst Space Technologies' LINK servicing spacecraft will rendezvous and attach to NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to re-boost its orbit. This aims to demonstrate a key capability for the future of space exploration and extending the Swift mission’s science lifetime in gamma ray astronomy.
Low Earth OrbitPegasus XL | Odyssey (TacRL-2)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
June 13, 2021, 8:11 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Payload for the US Space Force’s Tactically Responsive Launch program. It is a space domain awareness satellite that was procured under the Space Force's responsive launch program. The spacecraft was built in under a year and the launch provider was given three weeks of notice for the launch.
Sun-Synchronous OrbitPegasus XL | Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
Oct. 11, 2019, 2 a.m.
Pegasus XL | 8 x CYGNSS
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
Dec. 15, 2016, 1:37 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
CYGNSS or Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System is a NASA developed system to improve hurricane forecasting. It is a constellation of 8 small observation satellites, 27.5 kg each, that will make accurate measurements of ocean surface winds in and near the eye of the storm throughout the lifecycle of tropical cyclones, typhoons & hurricanes.
Low Earth OrbitPegasus XL | Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
June 28, 2013, 2:27 a.m.
Pegasus XL | Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
June 13, 2012, 4 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Designed to image high-energy X-ray radiation, the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) is tasked with surveying regions surrounding the center of own Milky Way Galaxy and performing deep observations of the extragalactic sky, studying black holes and supernovas.
Low Earth OrbitPegasus XL | Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
Oct. 19, 2008, 5:47 p.m.
Pegasus XL | Communications/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
April 16, 2008, 5:02 p.m.
Pegasus XL | Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
April 25, 2007, 8:26 p.m.
Pegasus XL | Space Technology 5 (ST-5) (3x microsats)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
March 28, 2006, 8:10 p.m.
Pegasus XL | ST-5 FWD
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
March 22, 2006, 2:03 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
NASA's three micro-sats were launched to test and validate new technologies for future science missions. ST5's objective was to demonstrate and flight qualify several innovative technologies and concepts for application to future space missions.
Low Earth OrbitPegasus XL | Demonstration for Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
April 15, 2005, 5:26 p.m.
Pegasus XL | SCISAT-1
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
Aug. 13, 2003, 2:09 a.m.
Pegasus XL | OrbView-3
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
June 26, 2003, 6:53 p.m.
Pegasus XL | Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
April 28, 2003, 11:59 a.m.
Pegasus XL | Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
Jan. 25, 2003, 8:13 p.m.
Pegasus XL | Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
Feb. 5, 2002, 8:58 p.m.
Pegasus XL | Tri-Services Experiments Platform-5 (TSX-5)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
June 7, 2000, 1:19 p.m.
Pegasus XL | Wide Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
March 5, 1999, 2:56 a.m.
Pegasus XL | Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
Dec. 6, 1998, 12:57 a.m.
Pegasus XL | Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
April 2, 1998, 2:42 a.m.
Pegasus XL | Broadband Advanced Technologies Satellite (BATSAT/Teledesic T1) & Student Nitric Oxide Explorer (SNOE)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
Feb. 26, 1998, 7:07 a.m.
Pegasus XL | Space Test Experiments Platform-4 (STEP-4)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
Oct. 22, 1997, 1:13 p.m.
Pegasus XL | Fast On-orbit Rapid Recording of Transient Events (FORTE)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Aug. 29, 1997, 3:02 p.m.
Pegasus XL | OrbView-2
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
Aug. 1, 1997, 8:20 p.m.
Pegasus XL | Minisat & Celestis Space Burial #1
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
April 21, 1997, 11:59 a.m.
Pegasus XL | High Energy Transient Explorer (HETE) & Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas-B (SAC-B)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
Nov. 4, 1996, 5:08 p.m.
Pegasus XL | Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer (FAST)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
Aug. 21, 1996, 9:47 a.m.
Pegasus XL | Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
July 2, 1996, 7:48 a.m.
Pegasus XL | REX II
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
March 9, 1996, 1:33 a.m.
Pegasus XL | Space Test Experiments Platform-3 (STEP-3)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
June 22, 1995, 7:58 p.m.
Falcon 9
Starlink Group 6-79
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USAA batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Long March 3
TJSW-21
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaChinese classified satellite claimed to be for communication technology test purposes. Actual mission not known.
Falcon 9
Starlink Group 6-78
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USAA batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Electron
Follow My Speed (BlackSky Gen-3 3?)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New ZealandNote: Payload and customer identities unconfirmed, identification based on mission patch and rocket drop zones analysis. 3rd of the BlackSky Gen-3…
Long March 2
Shijian 30 A-C
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China3 Chinese satellites described as for “Space Environment Measurements” purposes. Actual usage not known.
