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#140
by
ZachS09
on 16 Nov, 2018 01:10
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Will ICON ever be launched? I feel like it’s been delayed for eternity.
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#141
by
lrk
on 16 Nov, 2018 03:38
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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.
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#142
by
edkyle99
on 16 Nov, 2018 03:49
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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
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#143
by
Lars-J
on 16 Nov, 2018 05:23
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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.
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#144
by
JonathanD
on 16 Nov, 2018 07:19
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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?
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#145
by
Lar
on 16 Nov, 2018 14:12
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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.
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#146
by
Rondaz
on 16 Nov, 2018 17:22
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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/
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#147
by
edkyle99
on 17 Nov, 2018 02:59
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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
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#148
by
MattBaker
on 17 Nov, 2018 11:07
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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.
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#149
by
Rondaz
on 28 Nov, 2018 20:26
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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/
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#150
by
gongora
on 18 Dec, 2018 14:19
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#151
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 25 Feb, 2019 13:38
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https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1100041368695685120At 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.
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#152
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 26 Mar, 2019 14:51
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https://twitter.com/stephenclark1/status/1110556273039327235Nicky 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.
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#153
by
gongora
on 30 Apr, 2019 17:24
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https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1123275932725317634NASA’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.
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#154
by
zubenelgenubi
on 26 Jun, 2019 22:49
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#155
by
Steven Pietrobon
on 09 Jul, 2019 04:27
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Well, now that IXPE is flying on Falcon 9, is this going to be the last flight of Pegasus XL?
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#156
by
ZachS09
on 09 Jul, 2019 11:15
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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.
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#157
by
russianhalo117
on 09 Jul, 2019 14:52
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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.
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#158
by
The Phantom
on 13 Jul, 2019 15:20
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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.
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#159
by
russianhalo117
on 13 Jul, 2019 19:46
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