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Orbital Sciences CorporationPegasus XL HAPSWallops Flight Facility, Air launch to orbit

Orbcomm-A1 - A8

Launched

December 23, 1997 · 19:11 UTC

Launch Successful

Image: NASA/Laurie Losey

Summary

Orbcomm FM5-FM12 launched on an Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL HAPS from Wallops Flight Facility, Air launch to orbit on December 23, 1997 at 19:11 UTC. It was Orbital Sciences Corporation's 20th launch, 5th this year and humanity's 4,205th orbital launch attempt. It was the 1st Pegasus XL HAPS flight. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Orbcomm A4, one of 24 catalogued objects, reached a 811 × 831 km orbit inclined 45.0°. 24 objects from this launch are catalogued, 8 of them payloads.

Watch
No webcast on record.
Vehicle
Pegasus XL HAPS · Orbital Sciences Corporation
Booster
No booster details on record.
Mission
Communications · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
Milestone
1st Pegasus XL HAPS flightOrbital Sciences Corporation's 20th launch5th this yearhumanity's 4,205th orbital launch attempt87th orbital launch attempt this year

Flight preview

Orbit: as tracked

45.0°Inclination
811 × 831 kmPerigee × apogeefrom mean elements
101.2 minPeriodfrom mean elements
178.2°Ascending node
10523 d agoElement epoch1997-12-23 20:19 UTC · stale

Orbcomm A4 · NORAD 25112 · 1997-084 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 24 objects

Show the numbers for orbit elements
Object
ORBCOMM FM 8
Object ID
1997-084A
Epoch
1997-12-23 20:19:47 UTC
Mean motion
14.23387349 rev/day
Eccentricity
0.0013426
Inclination
45.015°
Ascending node
178.245°
Arg. of perigee
309.467°
Mean anomaly
52.6919°
Element set
999
Rev at epoch
0
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

24 catalogued: 8 payloads, 2 rocket stages, 14 debris; 12 still in orbit

  • Orbcomm A4 · NORAD 25112 · in orbit
  • Orbcomm A6 · NORAD 25113 · in orbit
  • Orbcomm A7 · NORAD 25114 · in orbit
  • Orbcomm A8 · NORAD 25115 · in orbit
  • Orbcomm A5 · NORAD 25116 · in orbit
  • Orbcomm A1 · NORAD 25117 · in orbit
  • Orbcomm A2 · NORAD 25118 · in orbit
  • Orbcomm A3 · NORAD 25119 · in orbit

Pegasus F19 Stage 3 · re-entered December 28, 1998

Pegasus F19 Stage 4 · re-entered September 1, 2001

Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org

About this launch

This Pegasus XL with a HAPS upper stage deployed eight Orbcomm satellites (FM5 to FM12), the first full plane of the low-orbit constellation providing two-way short data messaging for asset tracking and remote monitoring.

Pad

Map of Wallops Flight Facility

Wallops Flight Facility, Air launch to orbit

3rd launch from Wallops Flight Facility, 2nd this year · 18th from Air launch to orbit

6 launches from this pad · 52 from Air launch to orbit

62 days after the previous launch from this pad

All launches from Air launch to orbitOpen in maps

Questions

When did Orbcomm FM5-FM12 launch?

Orbcomm FM5-FM12 launched on December 23, 1997 at 19:11 UTC.

Where can I watch Orbcomm FM5-FM12?

No webcast is on record for this launch.

What rocket launched Orbcomm FM5-FM12?

Pegasus XL HAPS, flown by Orbital Sciences Corporation. Pegasus XL HAPS spec sheet

Where did Orbcomm FM5-FM12 launch from?

Wallops Flight Facility, Air launch to orbit.

What orbit did Orbcomm FM5-FM12 reach?

Orbcomm A4, one of 24 catalogued objects, reached a 811 × 831 km orbit inclined 45.0°.

How many satellites did Orbcomm FM5-FM12 launch?

8 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 8 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).