Pegasus has another launch opportunity in 2020.http://spacenews.com/nasa-selects-x-ray-astronomy-mission/
July 08, 2019 CONTRACT RELEASE C19-018NASA Awards Launch Services Contract for Groundbreaking Astrophysics Mission NASA has selected SpaceX of Hawthorne, California, to provide launch services for the agency’s Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission, which will allow astronomers to discover, for the first time, the hidden details of some of the most exotic astronomical objects in our universe. The total cost for NASA to launch IXPE is approximately $50.3 million, which includes the launch service and other mission-related costs.IXPE measures polarized X-rays from objects, such as black holes and neutron stars to better understand these types of cosmic phenomena and extreme environments.The IXPE mission currently is targeted to launch in April 2021 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A in Florida. IXPE will fly three space telescopes with sensitive detectors capable of measuring the polarization of cosmic X-rays, allowing scientists to answer fundamental questions about these turbulent environments where gravitational, electric and magnetic fields are at their limits. NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center in Florida will manage the SpaceX launch service. The IXPE project office is located at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama and is managed by the Explorers Program Office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.For more information about NASA programs and missions, visit: http://www.nasa.gov
Resuscitating an old thread.Quote from: starchasercowboy on 01/04/2017 03:18 pmPegasus has another launch opportunity in 2020.http://spacenews.com/nasa-selects-x-ray-astronomy-mission/The next "Pegasus-class payload," IXPE, was awarded to Falcon 9.Quote from: Comga on 07/08/2019 09:06 pmJuly 08, 2019 CONTRACT RELEASE C19-018NASA Awards Launch Services Contract for Groundbreaking Astrophysics Mission NASA has selected SpaceX of Hawthorne, California, to provide launch services for the agency’s Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission, which will allow astronomers to discover, for the first time, the hidden details of some of the most exotic astronomical objects in our universe. The total cost for NASA to launch IXPE is approximately $50.3 million, which includes the launch service and other mission-related costs.IXPE measures polarized X-rays from objects, such as black holes and neutron stars to better understand these types of cosmic phenomena and extreme environments.The IXPE mission currently is targeted to launch in April 2021 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A in Florida. IXPE will fly three space telescopes with sensitive detectors capable of measuring the polarization of cosmic X-rays, allowing scientists to answer fundamental questions about these turbulent environments where gravitational, electric and magnetic fields are at their limits. NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center in Florida will manage the SpaceX launch service. The IXPE project office is located at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama and is managed by the Explorers Program Office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.For more information about NASA programs and missions, visit: http://www.nasa.govAre there any other "Pegasus-class" payloads in the pipeline? Or is ICON the final Pegasus payload?IXPE/Falcon 9 launch thread
PUNCH/TRACERShttps://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=48395.0...but the IXPE award really narrows the path forward for Pegasus.
Quote from: arachnitect on 07/10/2019 02:05 pmPUNCH/TRACERShttps://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=48395.0...but the IXPE award really narrows the path forward for Pegasus.At least some PUNCH team members are expecting a Falcon 9 launch.
Quote from: JH on 07/10/2019 08:33 pmQuote from: arachnitect on 07/10/2019 02:05 pmPUNCH/TRACERShttps://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=48395.0...but the IXPE award really narrows the path forward for Pegasus.At least some PUNCH team members are expecting a Falcon 9 launch.There are two motor sets at VAFB excluding the motors for ICON.
Quote from: russianhalo117 on 07/11/2019 05:07 amQuote from: JH on 07/10/2019 08:33 pmQuote from: arachnitect on 07/10/2019 02:05 pmPUNCH/TRACERShttps://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=48395.0...but the IXPE award really narrows the path forward for Pegasus.At least some PUNCH team members are expecting a Falcon 9 launch.There are two motor sets at VAFB excluding the motors for ICON.So you think there could be a "fire sale" launches with NGST keeping Stargazer active until two more flights get off?I wonder what fraction of total launch costs those motor sets represent.Could they be the dominant fraction of cost?
https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/10/10/rockets-purchased-by-stratolaunch-back-under-northrop-grumman-control/There might be two more Pegasus missions on the manifest since Northrop Grumman bought back the spare parts from Stratolaunch.
Quote from: ZachS09 on 10/11/2019 01:07 pmhttps://spaceflightnow.com/2019/10/10/rockets-purchased-by-stratolaunch-back-under-northrop-grumman-control/There might be two more Pegasus missions on the manifest since Northrop Grumman bought back the spare parts from Stratolaunch.That $50 million price tho. Better off sending the 2 rockets and plane to museums.
Quote from: jstrotha0975 on 10/11/2019 08:27 pmQuote from: ZachS09 on 10/11/2019 01:07 pmhttps://spaceflightnow.com/2019/10/10/rockets-purchased-by-stratolaunch-back-under-northrop-grumman-control/There might be two more Pegasus missions on the manifest since Northrop Grumman bought back the spare parts from Stratolaunch.That $50 million price tho. Better off sending the 2 rockets and plane to museums.The $56 million price mentioned was on an Orbital Sciences contract. Subsequently, Orbital merged with ATK, which later merged into Northrop Grumman. The company now owns the motor manufacturer, which theoretically should substantially reduce the cost (and price) of a launch. If they intend to compete, they will have to offer lower prices. - Ed Kyle
Quote from: edkyle99 on 10/11/2019 09:15 pmQuote from: jstrotha0975 on 10/11/2019 08:27 pmQuote from: ZachS09 on 10/11/2019 01:07 pmhttps://spaceflightnow.com/2019/10/10/rockets-purchased-by-stratolaunch-back-under-northrop-grumman-control/There might be two more Pegasus missions on the manifest since Northrop Grumman bought back the spare parts from Stratolaunch.That $50 million price tho. Better off sending the 2 rockets and plane to museums.The $56 million price mentioned was on an Orbital Sciences contract. Subsequently, Orbital merged with ATK, which later merged into Northrop Grumman. The company now owns the motor manufacturer, which theoretically should substantially reduce the cost (and price) of a launch. If they intend to compete, they will have to offer lower prices. - Ed Kyle I wouldn't read too much into it. The ICON bid was the highest the contractor thought it could be while still having a good chance of winning the contract (which they did btw). With the loss of IXPE, that calculus simply changes. Pegasus likely can still outbid Falcon 9 given the entire rocket masses about 20% as much as the falcon 9 upper stage.
Quote from: ncb1397 on 10/11/2019 09:46 pmQuote from: edkyle99 on 10/11/2019 09:15 pmQuote from: jstrotha0975 on 10/11/2019 08:27 pmQuote from: ZachS09 on 10/11/2019 01:07 pmhttps://spaceflightnow.com/2019/10/10/rockets-purchased-by-stratolaunch-back-under-northrop-grumman-control/There might be two more Pegasus missions on the manifest since Northrop Grumman bought back the spare parts from Stratolaunch.That $50 million price tho. Better off sending the 2 rockets and plane to museums.The $56 million price mentioned was on an Orbital Sciences contract. Subsequently, Orbital merged with ATK, which later merged into Northrop Grumman. The company now owns the motor manufacturer, which theoretically should substantially reduce the cost (and price) of a launch. If they intend to compete, they will have to offer lower prices. - Ed Kyle I wouldn't read too much into it. The ICON bid was the highest the contractor thought it could be while still having a good chance of winning the contract (which they did btw). With the loss of IXPE, that calculus simply changes. Pegasus likely can still outbid Falcon 9 given the entire rocket masses about 20% as much as the falcon 9 upper stage.I doubt that Pegasus has a future due to it's costs. 500kg on the monthly scheduled F9 ride share flights is priced at $2.5 million. Pegasus can't fly their L1011 for that, much less the rocket.Say, double that if you want to go to a somewhat different LEO orbit via upper stage delivery. This is much, much less than Pegasus's costs.
Quote from: freddo411 on 10/11/2019 10:58 pmQuote from: ncb1397 on 10/11/2019 09:46 pmQuote from: edkyle99 on 10/11/2019 09:15 pmQuote from: jstrotha0975 on 10/11/2019 08:27 pmQuote from: ZachS09 on 10/11/2019 01:07 pmhttps://spaceflightnow.com/2019/10/10/rockets-purchased-by-stratolaunch-back-under-northrop-grumman-control/There might be two more Pegasus missions on the manifest since Northrop Grumman bought back the spare parts from Stratolaunch.That $50 million price tho. Better off sending the 2 rockets and plane to museums.The $56 million price mentioned was on an Orbital Sciences contract. Subsequently, Orbital merged with ATK, which later merged into Northrop Grumman. The company now owns the motor manufacturer, which theoretically should substantially reduce the cost (and price) of a launch. If they intend to compete, they will have to offer lower prices. - Ed Kyle I wouldn't read too much into it. The ICON bid was the highest the contractor thought it could be while still having a good chance of winning the contract (which they did btw). With the loss of IXPE, that calculus simply changes. Pegasus likely can still outbid Falcon 9 given the entire rocket masses about 20% as much as the falcon 9 upper stage.I doubt that Pegasus has a future due to it's costs. 500kg on the monthly scheduled F9 ride share flights is priced at $2.5 million. Pegasus can't fly their L1011 for that, much less the rocket.Say, double that if you want to go to a somewhat different LEO orbit via upper stage delivery. This is much, much less than Pegasus's costs.Probably a lot more than double given it would have to drop off starlink payloads at 53 degrees and then do a 20 degree inclination change (for ICON). That is a delta v of 2.7 km/s. Not sure about IXPE and what determines the orbit there, but ICON wants to focus on the equatorial regions as interesting activity occurs there in the ionosphere.
I wouldn't read too much into it. The ICON bid was the highest the contractor thought it could be while still having a good chance of winning the contract (which they did btw). With the loss of IXPE, that calculus simply changes. Pegasus likely can still outbid Falcon 9 given the entire rocket masses about 20% as much as the falcon 9 upper stage.