Author Topic: Pegasus XL - CYGNSS - December 15, 2016 - CCAFS  (Read 108653 times)

Offline jacqmans

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Re: LIVE: Pegasus XL - CYGNSS - December 15, 2016 - CCAFS
« Reply #300 on: 12/16/2016 05:59 am »
December 15, 2016

RELEASE #121516
45th SW supports successful Pegasus CYGNSS launch
By 45th Space Wing Public Affairs

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. – The 45th Space Wing supported
Orbital ATK’s successful Pegasus XL rocket launch carrying NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System Dec. 15 at 8:37 a.m. from Orbital’s “Stargazer” L-1011 carrier aircraft which took off from the Skid Strip here.
Once the L-1011 carrier aircraft reached launch altitude, the Pegasus rocket launched over the Atlantic Ocean about 126 miles east of Daytona Beach, Fla.

The CYGNSS constellation consists of eight microsatellite observatories that will produce measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes, which could help lead to better forecasting of severe weather on Earth. The CYGNSS mission is the 43rd Pegasus space launch since its introduction in 1990, and marks a total of 93 satellites launched by the rocket, according to an Orbital ATK fact sheet. The last Pegasus mission originating from CCAFS occurred more than 13 years ago.

According to Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, 45th Space Wing commander and mission Launch Decision Authority, today's launch once again clearly demonstrates the collaborative efforts required for mission success.
“I am proud of the entire professional team here on the Space Coast who worked together flawlessly to make our twenty-second major launch operation of the year a success,” he said. “It’s been 13 years since we last supported a Pegasus launch and our collective team for this unique mission didn’t miss a beat. It's an honor to work alongside this entire team as we shape the future of America's launch and range operations, and continue to be the ‘World's Premier Gateway to Space.’”
Jacques :-)

Online Steven Pietrobon

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Re: LIVE: Pegasus XL - CYGNSS - December 15, 2016 - CCAFS
« Reply #301 on: 12/16/2016 06:14 am »
Congratulations to Orbital ATK and NASA for the successful launch!

The video above says "This video is private".
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline jacqmans

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Re: LIVE: Pegasus XL - CYGNSS - December 15, 2016 - CCAFS
« Reply #302 on: 12/16/2016 08:47 am »
Orbital ATK Successfully Launches NASA's CYGNSS Spacecraft Aboard Pegasus Rocket

Launch Marks the 43rd Flight of the World’s First Commercial Rocket

Air-Launched Pegasus Rocket Deployed from Company’s “Stargazer” L-1011 Carrier Aircraft


Dulles, Virginia 15 December 2016 – Orbital ATK (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, today announced that its Pegasus® rocket successfully launched the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) satellite for NASA. The successful launch was the 29th consecutive successful mission for the Pegasus rocket since 1997 and the 43rd overall flight of the world’s first privately developed commercial rocket.

“We are proud to provide another successful Pegasus launch for our NASA customer,” said Rich Straka, Vice President and General Manager of Orbital ATK’s Launch Vehicles Division. “Congratulations to the NASA CYGNSS and Orbital ATK teams on another great mission.”

Pegasus is the leading launch system for the deployment of small satellites into low-Earth orbit. As the only NASA Launch Services Category 3 vehicle in the small-launch class, Pegasus is certified to launch NASA’s most valuable satellites.

The CYGNSS constellation of eight satellites is a NASA Earth System Science Pathfinder Mission that will collect space‐based measurements of the inner core of tropical cyclones. The CYGNSS constellation will provide scientists and meteorologists with the data necessary to improve tropical cyclone forecasting and tracking methods.

For the first phase of the launch, CYGNSS and the Pegasus rocket were carried into the atmosphere beneath Orbital ATK's "Stargazer" L-1011 carrier aircraft. They were released from the plane at approximately 39,000 feet, and then the Pegasus motors ignited, carrying CYGNSS to its intended 35 degree orbit so the constellation will be able to survey the mid latitudes where most cyclones form.
Orbital ATK Successfully Launches NASA’s CYGNSS Spacecraft Aboard Pegasus Rocket - Page 2
As an air-launched system, Pegasus has unparalleled flexibility to operate from virtually anywhere on Earth with minimal ground support requirements. This was the first Pegasus mission in 12 years to launch from Cape Canaveral. Pegasus missions have been conducted from six separate sites in the U.S., Europe and the Marshall Islands.

“As a vertically integrated launch system, Pegasus combines key Orbital ATK strengths from multiple locations across the company,” said Scott Lehr, President of Orbital ATK’s Flight Systems Group.

The vehicle’s avionics and control systems, solid rocket motors, and composite structures are manufactured at Orbital ATK facilities in Chandler, Arizona; Dulles, Virginia; Vandenberg Air Force Base, California; and Bacchus and Clearfield, Utah.

The solid rocket motors used on Pegasus have also been used in more than 110 other Orbital ATK-built launch vehicles. These include the company’s Orbital Boost Vehicle (OBV) missile defense interceptors, IRBM- and ICBM-class target vehicles, Minotaur space launch vehicles and Hyper-X hypersonic test boosters.
Jacques :-)

Re: LIVE: Pegasus XL - CYGNSS - December 15, 2016 - CCAFS
« Reply #303 on: 12/16/2016 11:34 am »
Stargazer departs CCAFS with Pegasus XL rocket

« Last Edit: 12/16/2016 11:36 am by wsl2005 »

Offline rocx

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Re: LIVE: Pegasus XL - CYGNSS - December 15, 2016 - CCAFS
« Reply #304 on: 12/16/2016 01:18 pm »
Stargazer departs CCAFS with Pegasus XL rocket

What is the chase plane carrying underneath? Is it a drop tank? Is it needed for that distance?
Any day with a rocket landing is a fantastic day.

Offline Kim Keller

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Re: LIVE: Pegasus XL - CYGNSS - December 15, 2016 - CCAFS
« Reply #305 on: 12/16/2016 01:28 pm »
Stargazer departs CCAFS with Pegasus XL rocket

What is the chase plane carrying underneath? Is it a drop tank? Is it needed for that distance?

Since the A/C deployed from Armstrong FRC, it probably is a fuel tank. That would make the transcontinental hop a bit easier.
« Last Edit: 12/16/2016 01:28 pm by Kim Keller »

Offline edkyle99

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Re: LIVE: Pegasus XL - CYGNSS - December 15, 2016 - CCAFS
« Reply #306 on: 12/17/2016 12:17 am »
A really terrific NASA image by Bill White of Stargazer and Pegasus taking off from the Skid Strip on launch day.

I've also added a nice airborne NASA image taken by Lori Losey in the chase F-18 during the aborted attempt on December 12.

These and many more are up on NASA Kennedy Flickr.

 - Ed Kyle
« Last Edit: 12/17/2016 12:33 am by edkyle99 »

Re: LIVE: Pegasus XL - CYGNSS - December 15, 2016 - CCAFS
« Reply #307 on: 12/18/2016 02:58 am »
The view of Orbital ATK’s L-1011 Stargazer and Pegasus XL rocket (underneath), as seen from the F/A-18B jet used to provide live coverage of the launch carrying NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS). Flying the F-18 was NASA Test Pilot Troy Asher, with NASA Videographer Lori Losey backseat. Photo Credit: NASA / Lori Losey

« Last Edit: 12/18/2016 03:02 am by wsl2005 »

Offline rweede

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Re: LIVE: Pegasus XL - CYGNSS - December 15, 2016 - CCAFS
« Reply #308 on: 12/19/2016 08:11 am »
There's definitely something cool about this way of launching ...  8)

Could somebody explain what the red ("POS") and green ("CMD") lines in the telemetry screens meant? At first I thought it was the actual value vs. the value aimed for by the guidance system, but that cannot be it, since there were huge differences at times, especially on the pitch channel ...

Offline edkyle99

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Re: LIVE: Pegasus XL - CYGNSS - December 15, 2016 - CCAFS
« Reply #309 on: 12/25/2016 12:36 am »
NASA finally posted Lori Losey's chase images of the launch itself.

 - Ed Kyle

Online catdlr

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Re: LIVE: Pegasus XL - CYGNSS - December 15, 2016 - CCAFS
« Reply #310 on: 07/22/2019 11:46 pm »
{snip}
The other mission mentioned in this class is Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO). Is it too possibly destined for launch on Pegasus XL?

Negative
TEMPO will be a hosted payload in geosynchronous orbit.  The host satellite has not been selected.
It will not ride on Pegasus.
Now back to Orbital and CYGNSS......

Cross-posting to Maxar Technologies who will be flying this.
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=48630.msg1969335#msg1969335
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