Pegasus-XL - ICON - Cape Canaveral - October 10/11, 2019

[ZachS09]

Will ICON ever be launched? I feel like it’s been delayed for eternity.

[lrk]

Will ICON ever be launched? I feel like it’s been delayed for eternity.

The launch campaign that never ends...

In all seriousness, I wonder at what point NASA decides they've had enough and switches launchers.  This is also the last scheduled mission for Pegasus, right?  Doesn't bode well for it getting any future missions. 

[edkyle99]

Will ICON ever be launched? I feel like it’s been delayed for eternity.

I've seen longer launch campaigns.  They always launched, eventually.

As for Pegasus, there was an AvWeek article mid-summer that noted that Orbital (now Northrop Grumman) had bought another L1011 for spare parts and was in the process of upgrading or updating some Pegasus systems to cut costs.  Perhaps some of these delays are related to teething problems with some of those updates.  It seems to me that the company would not be making these moves unless it had plans for a Pegasus future.

 - Ed Kyle

[Lars-J]

Will ICON ever be launched? I feel like it’s been delayed for eternity.

I've seen longer launch campaigns.  They always launched, eventually.

As for Pegasus, there was an AvWeek article mid-summer that noted that Orbital (now Northrop Grumman) had bought another L1011 for spare parts and was in the process of upgrading or updating some Pegasus systems to cut costs.  Perhaps some of these delays are related to teething problems with some of those updates.  It seems to me that the company would not be making these moves unless it had plans for a Pegasus future.

 - Ed Kyle

But after this launch - could there be much market left for it? With RocketLab in operation and soon Virgin Galactic, the future prospects would appear grim, despite its history with NASA. And it has only flown 5(?) times in the last 10 years. Not a great flight rate for any system.

So I'm wondering is NG is holding on to it (and Antares) just to have a toe in the game and keep launch experience in-house to as a bridge until OmegA arrives.

[JonathanD]

But after this launch - could there be much market left for it? With RocketLab in operation and soon Virgin Galactic, the future prospects would appear grim, despite its history with NASA. And it has only flown 5(?) times in the last 10 years. Not a great flight rate for any system.

So I'm wondering is NG is holding on to it (and Antares) just to have a toe in the game and keep launch experience in-house to as a bridge until OmegA arrives.

Rocket aside, how much does it cost just to keep that old TriStar flying?  How do they even get parts?

[Lar]

Rocket aside, how much does it cost just to keep that old TriStar flying?  How do they even get parts?

See above, they bought another one for spares. Also, boneyards. There are vast fleets of various aircraft types in various states of disassembly (some ready to fly again after removing covers, some half scrapped, and everything in between) in Arizona.

[Rondaz]

ICON to Return to Vandenberg AFB for Further Analysis

Bob Granath Posted on November 16, 2018

NASA and Northrop Grumman have made the decision to fly the L-1011 Stargazer and Pegasus XL rocket carrying NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, spacecraft back to its integration facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The ferry flight will take place early next week. Returning to the environmentally-controlled integration facility allows the team to further investigate off-nominal data observed during the Nov. 8 launch attempt.

Once the investigation is complete, a new launch date will be determined. ICON will launch out of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The ICON spacecraft, which uses Northrop Grumman’s LEOStar-2 platform, is monitored at all times and remains healthy.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/icon/2018/11/16/icon-to-return-to-vandenberg-afb-for-further-analysis/

[edkyle99]

Will ICON ever be launched? I feel like it’s been delayed for eternity.

I've seen longer launch campaigns.  They always launched, eventually.

As for Pegasus, there was an AvWeek article mid-summer that noted that Orbital (now Northrop Grumman) had bought another L1011 for spare parts and was in the process of upgrading or updating some Pegasus systems to cut costs.  Perhaps some of these delays are related to teething problems with some of those updates.  It seems to me that the company would not be making these moves unless it had plans for a Pegasus future.

 - Ed Kyle

But after this launch - could there be much market left for it? With RocketLab in operation and soon Virgin Galactic, the future prospects would appear grim, despite its history with NASA. And it has only flown 5(?) times in the last 10 years. Not a great flight rate for any system.

So I'm wondering is NG is holding on to it (and Antares) just to have a toe in the game and keep launch experience in-house to as a bridge until OmegA arrives.

Electron can only lift half of a Pegasus payload on paper (so far it has only lifted about 15% as much as Pegasus in reality).  LauncherOne matches Pegasus on paper, but it is going to be a challenge to air launch with its cryogenic liquid propellants.  Meanwhile, Pegasus shares much with the Minotaur series, and with OBV.  Altogether, they account for probably 25-30 or so launches during the past decade.     

 - Ed Kyle

[MattBaker]

Plus Electron only really works for polar orbits right now with their launch site, let's see when it comes to lower latitudes. But a mission like ICON, 27° inclination wouldn't be possible even from Wallops without sacrificing the already not-enough power for a plane change?

Pegasus, especially when it can go from Kwajalein without scheduling issues, can offer a pretty wide range of inclinations.

[Rondaz]

NASA’s ICON Analysis Underway at Vandenberg AFB

Bob Granath Posted on November 28, 2018

On Monday, Nov. 19, Northrop Grumman flew the L-1011 Stargazer and Pegasus XL rocket carrying NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, spacecraft back to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. On Nov. 20, Northrop Grumman completed the de-mate of Pegasus from the L-1011 and transported the rocket safely into the integration facility.

The Northrop Grumman/NASA team continues its investigation into the off-nominal data observed during the Nov. 7 launch attempt. Once the analysis is complete, a new launch date will be determined. ICON will launch out of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The ICON spacecraft, which uses Northrop Grumman’s LEOStar-2 platform, is monitored at all times and remains healthy.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/icon/2018/11/28/nasas-icon-analysis-underway-at-vandenberg-afb/

[gongora]

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1075041994936864768

Nicola Fox, heliophysics division director, says ICON launch on a Pegasus XL now scheduled for early 2019.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1100041368695685120

At a National Academies committee meeting this morning, Nicky Fox, head of NASA’s heliophysics division, says the ICON launch now planned for no earlier the 2nd quarter. Northrop Grumman still working “extremely hard” on problems with the Pegasus launch vehicle.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/stephenclark1/status/1110556273039327235

Nicky Fox, head of NASA’s heliophysics division, tells National Academy of Sciences committee that Northrop Grumman plans test flight of the Pegasus XL under its L-1011 carrier jet in a few weeks. If it goes well, launch campaign for long-delayed ICON satellite could soon follow.

[gongora]

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1123275932725317634

NASA’s Bill Gerstenmaier speaking now at the ASEB/SSB meeting, with a broad overview of HEOMD programs. Notes problem with Pegasus XL that delayed ICON launch for months appears to have been solved; should be ready to launch this summer.

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post; SFN Launch Schedule, updated June 23

NET September per Stephen Clark

[Steven Pietrobon]

Well, now that IXPE is flying on Falcon 9, is this going to be the last flight of Pegasus XL?

[ZachS09]

Well, now that IXPE is flying on Falcon 9, is this going to be the last flight of Pegasus XL?

I think so. It appears that SpaceX launching IXPE and the countless delays of ICON could lead to Northrop Grumman announcing, “ICON will be Pegasus’ last mission”, followed by an explanation of Pegasus’ success rate and payload examples that accomplished great scientific results.

Making an excuse that SpaceX is stealing their payloads would NOT be the appropriate way to explain Pegasus’ retirement.

[russianhalo117]

Well, now that IXPE is flying on Falcon 9, is this going to be the last flight of Pegasus XL?

There Pegasus XL in storage and early buildup at VAFB facilities.

[The Phantom]

Well, now that IXPE is flying on Falcon 9, is this going to be the last flight of Pegasus XL?

There Pegasus XL in storage and early buildup at VAFB facilities.

There are two Pegasus XL's at 1555, both ex-Stratolaunch vehicles. But there is no customer as yet for either of them.

[russianhalo117]

Right now, there's no launch vehicle assigned to launch SPHEREx, which weighs 178 kilograms. Maybe one of the Pegasus rockets could launch SPHEREx since it's within the payload capability to SSO.

https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_spherex.htm

Also, we have PUNCH and TRACERS that are presumably within Pegasus' SSO capability, so that could be another candidate for Pegasus.

https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_punch.htm
https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_tracers.htm

Both are baselined. However we are derailing this mission thred nd should use the other Pegasus thread to discuss further.