Spaceflight Insider

News Archive / Tagged: Pegasus XL

  • Stratolaunch abandons plans to develop family of rockets

    Derek RichardsonJanuary 21st, 2019

    It seems that Stratolaunch, a company working to develop an aircraft to air-launch rockets, may be scaling back its operations.

  • ‘Off-nominal data’ prompts postponement of ICON launch

    Derek RichardsonNovember 7th, 2018

    The flight of NASA's ICON spacecraft was scrubbed less than 30 minutes before its planned launch via Northrop Grumman's air-dropped Pegasus XL rocket.

  • Orbital ATK Pegasus launches CYGNSS hurricane-watching satellites

    Bart LeahyDecember 15th, 2016

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Most space launches from the Sunshine State can be seen by thousands or even millions of people. However, at 8:37 a.m. EST (13:37 GMT) Dec. 15, Orbital ATK launched a Pegasus XL rocket by air-dropping it from a modified Lockheed-Martin L-1011 Stargazer aircraft about 100 miles off the coast of Florida.

  • ‘Flight parameter’ issue delays Pegasus launch – UPDATE

    Derek RichardsonDecember 14th, 2016

    Orbital ATK has postponed Wednesday’s planned launch of their air-dropped Pegasus rocket with NASA’s CYGNSS mission. An issue with flight parameter data used by spacecraft software was discovered during a routine test on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016.

  • Technical problem delays CYGNSS launch – UPDATE

    Bart LeahyDecember 12th, 2016

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — After reaching altitude and avoiding inclement weather, a problem with a hydraulic pump ultimately caused a scrub for today's Pegasus XL launch to carry the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) satellite constellation into orbit.

  • NASA, Orbital ATK preparing to launch GPS-powered CYGNSS satellites

    Bart LeahyDecember 10th, 2016

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — An Orbital ATK Pegasus XL air-launched rocket will send the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS), a set of eight microsatellites, into orbit at 8:19 a.m. EST (13:19 GMT) Dec. 12, 2016, off the coast from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The satellites will use GPS signals both to determine their location and to observe tropical cyclones.

  • December shaping up to be a busy month for rocket flights

    Joe LatrellDecember 2nd, 2016

    December is shaping up to be a very busy launch month for the U.S. On the East Coast, three different satellites are expected to take to the skies, providing improved services and weather monitoring. Additionally, on the West Coast, SpaceX hopes to fly their Falcon 9 after being grounded for over three months.

  • CYGNSS readied for flight on wings of Pegasus

    Jason RhianAugust 21st, 2015

    NASA's CYGNSS mission is being prepared for a launch currently set to take place in 2016. It will be used to better predict hurricanes. With the satellite currently undergoing construction in Texas, and having completed significant milestones – SFI provides the following review of the flight.

  • Our SpaceFlight Heritage: Pegasus marks 25 years of flight

    Jason RhianApril 6th, 2015

    The air-launched Pegasus rocket first took to the skies on April 5, 1990, under a joint venture between Orbital Sciences Corporation (now Orbital ATK) and Hercules Aerospace Company. The winged, privately-developed booster was developed in the late ’80s and has gone on to fly 42 times – which include a total of 28 consecutive successful flights since […]