Orbital Sciences CorporationPegasus XLVandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit
Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer (FAST)
Launched
August 21, 1996 · 09:47 UTC
Image: NASA/Laurie Losey
Summary
FAST launched on an Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit on August 21, 1996 at 09:47 UTC. It was Orbital Sciences Corporation's 14th launch, 4th this year and humanity's 4,094th orbital launch attempt. It was the 5th Pegasus XL flight and the 3rd this year. The payload was bound for Elliptical Orbit (Elliptical). FAST, one of 8 catalogued objects, reached a 356 × 4,149 km orbit inclined 82.8°. 8 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Pegasus XL · Orbital Sciences Corporation
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Heliophysics · Elliptical Orbit (Elliptical)
- Milestone
- 5th Pegasus XL flight · 3rd this yearOrbital Sciences Corporation's 14th launch4th this yearhumanity's 4,094th orbital launch attempt53rd orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
FAST · NORAD 24285 · 1996-049 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 8 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- FAST
- Object ID
- 1996-049A
- Epoch
- 1996-08-21 11:11:55 UTC
- Mean motion
- 10.84141115 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.2199498
- Inclination
- 82.8197°
- Ascending node
- 178.181°
- Arg. of perigee
- 162.1304°
- Mean anomaly
- 207.1424°
- 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: Elliptical. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
8 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage, 6 components; 2 still in orbit
- FAST · NORAD 24285 · in orbit
Pegasus F13 Stage 3 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
FAST (Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer) was a NASA Small Explorer placed in a highly eccentric near-polar orbit to capture high-time-resolution measurements of the plasma processes that accelerate auroral particles. It was the second SMEX mission.
Pad
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit
7th launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, 4th this year · 13th from Air launch to orbit
22 launches from this pad · 52 from Air launch to orbit
50 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did FAST launch?
FAST launched on August 21, 1996 at 09:47 UTC.
Where can I watch FAST?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched FAST?
Pegasus XL, flown by Orbital Sciences Corporation. Pegasus XL spec sheet
Where did FAST launch from?
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit.
What orbit did FAST reach?
FAST, one of 8 catalogued objects, reached a 356 × 4,149 km orbit inclined 82.8°.
How many satellites did FAST launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).