Orbital ATKPegasus XLCape Canaveral, Air launch to orbit
8 x CYGNSS
Launched
December 15, 2016
Image: NASA/Laurie Losey
Summary
8 x CYGNSS launched on an Orbital ATK Pegasus XL from Cape Canaveral, Air launch to orbit on December 15, 2016. It was Orbital ATK's 2nd launch, 2nd this year and humanity's 5,610th orbital launch attempt. It was the 29th Pegasus XL flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). CYGNSS FM05, one of 9 catalogued objects, reached a 526 × 539 km orbit inclined 35.0°. 9 objects from this launch are catalogued, 8 of them payloads.
- Watch
- NASA Launches Satellite Constellation for Hurricane Tracking MissionNASA
- Pegasus XL Rocket Launches with CYGNSS SpacecraftNASA's Kennedy Space Center
- Vehicle
- Pegasus XL · Orbital ATK
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Earth Science · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 29th Pegasus XL flight · 1st this yearOrbital ATK's 2nd launch2nd this yearhumanity's 5,610th orbital launch attempt81st orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
CYGNSS FM05 · NORAD 41884 · 2016-078 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 9 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 2016-078A
- Epoch
- 2016-12-15 14:48:16 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.13639169 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0009272
- Inclination
- 34.9596°
- Ascending node
- 83.2299°
- Arg. of perigee
- 112.5913°
- Mean anomaly
- 266.7727°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 1
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
9 catalogued: 8 payloads, 1 rocket stage; 7 still in orbit
- CYGNSS FM05 · NORAD 41884 · in orbit
- CYGNSS FM04 · NORAD 41885 · in orbit
- CYGNSS FM02 · NORAD 41886 · in orbit
- CYGNSS FM01 · NORAD 41887 · in orbit
- CYGNSS FM08 · NORAD 41888 · in orbit
- CYGNSS FM06 · NORAD 41889 · re-entered June 13, 2024
- CYGNSS FM07 · NORAD 41890 · in orbit
- CYGNSS FM03 · NORAD 41891 · in orbit
Pegasus F43 Stage 3 · re-entered October 10, 2026
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
CYGNSS or Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System is a NASA developed system to improve hurricane forecasting. It is a constellation of 8 small observation satellites, 27.5 kg each, that will make accurate measurements of ocean surface winds in and near the eye of the storm throughout the lifecycle of tropical cyclones, typhoons & hurricanes.
Pad
Cape Canaveral, Air launch to orbit
6th launch from Cape Canaveral, 1st this year · 43rd from Air launch to orbit
7 launches from this pad · 52 from Air launch to orbit
about 14 years after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did 8 x CYGNSS launch?
8 x CYGNSS launched on December 15, 2016. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch 8 x CYGNSS?
Coverage: NASA Launches Satellite Constellation for Hurricane Tracking Mission; Pegasus XL Rocket Launches with CYGNSS Spacecraft. Watch the replay
What rocket launched 8 x CYGNSS?
Pegasus XL, flown by Orbital ATK. Pegasus XL spec sheet
Where did 8 x CYGNSS launch from?
Cape Canaveral, Air launch to orbit.
What orbit did 8 x CYGNSS reach?
CYGNSS FM05, one of 9 catalogued objects, reached a 526 × 539 km orbit inclined 35.0°.
How many satellites did 8 x CYGNSS launch?
8 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 7 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).