Orbital Sciences CorporationPegasus XL HAPSWallops Flight Facility, Air launch to orbit
Orbcomm-B1 - B8
Launched
August 2, 1998
Image: NASA/Laurie Losey
Summary
Orbcomm B1-B8 launched on an Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL HAPS from Wallops Flight Facility, Air launch to orbit on August 2, 1998. It was Orbital Sciences Corporation's 24th launch, 4th this year and humanity's 4,254th orbital launch attempt. It was the 2nd Pegasus XL HAPS flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Orbcomm B5, one of 22 catalogued objects, reached a 825 × 826 km orbit inclined 45.0°. 22 objects from this launch are catalogued, 8 of them payloads.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Communications · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 2nd Pegasus XL HAPS flight · 1st this yearOrbital Sciences Corporation's 24th launch4th this yearhumanity's 4,254th orbital launch attempt47th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Orbcomm B5 · NORAD 25413 · 1998-046 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 22 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- ORBCOMM FM 13
- Object ID
- 1998-046A
- Epoch
- 1998-08-03 01:25:43 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.22053168 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0001303
- Inclination
- 45.015°
- Ascending node
- 353.0113°
- Arg. of perigee
- 38.261°
- Mean anomaly
- 213.7681°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 5
- 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
22 catalogued: 8 payloads, 2 rocket stages, 12 debris; 9 still in orbit
- Orbcomm B5 · NORAD 25413 · in orbit
- Orbcomm B6 · NORAD 25414 · in orbit
- Orbcomm B7 · NORAD 25415 · in orbit
- Orbcomm B8 · NORAD 25416 · in orbit
- Orbcomm B4 · NORAD 25417 · broke up December 22, 2018
- Orbcomm B3 · NORAD 25418 · in orbit
- Orbcomm B2 · NORAD 25419 · in orbit
- Orbcomm B1 · NORAD 25420 · in orbit
Pegasus F22 Stage 3 · re-entered January 4, 1999
Pegasus F22 Stage 4 · re-entered December 15, 2000
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Eight Orbcomm low Earth orbit data-messaging satellites launched together for Orbcomm's machine-to-machine and short-message communications constellation.
Pad
Wallops Flight Facility, Air launch to orbit
4th launch from Wallops Flight Facility, 1st this year · 21st from Air launch to orbit
6 launches from this pad · 52 from Air launch to orbit
221 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did Orbcomm B1-B8 launch?
Orbcomm B1-B8 launched on August 2, 1998. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Orbcomm B1-B8?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Orbcomm B1-B8?
Pegasus XL HAPS, flown by Orbital Sciences Corporation. Pegasus XL HAPS spec sheet
Where did Orbcomm B1-B8 launch from?
Wallops Flight Facility, Air launch to orbit.
What orbit did Orbcomm B1-B8 reach?
Orbcomm B5, one of 22 catalogued objects, reached a 825 × 826 km orbit inclined 45.0°.
How many satellites did Orbcomm B1-B8 launch?
8 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 7 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).