Orbital Sciences CorporationPegasus XLVandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit
OrbView-2
Launched
August 1, 1997
Image: NASA/Laurie Losey
Summary
OrbView-2 launched on an Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit on August 1, 1997. It was Orbital Sciences Corporation's 17th launch, 2nd this year and humanity's 4,157th orbital launch attempt. It was the 8th Pegasus XL flight and the 2nd this year. The payload was bound for Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). OrbView-2, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 276 × 318 km orbit inclined 98.3°. 2 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
- Earth Science · Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO)
- Milestone
- 8th Pegasus XL flight · 2nd this yearOrbital Sciences Corporation's 17th launch2nd this yearhumanity's 4,157th orbital launch attempt39th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
OrbView-2 · NORAD 24883 · 1997-037 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- ORBVIEW 2 (SEASTAR)
- Object ID
- 1997-037A
- Epoch
- 1997-08-01 22:50:02 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.94358474 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0031813
- Inclination
- 98.2894°
- Ascending node
- 307.3904°
- Arg. of perigee
- 255.5214°
- Mean anomaly
- 104.3391°
- 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: SSO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
2 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage; 1 still in orbit
- OrbView-2 · NORAD 24883 · in orbit
Pegasus F16 Stage 3 · re-entered September 29, 1997
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
OrbView-2 (SeaStar) was a commercial Orbital Sciences satellite carrying NASA's SeaWiFS ocean-colour sensor, which imaged the world's oceans and land daily to measure phytoplankton and other biological activity. Designed for five years, it collected data for thirteen.
Pad
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit
8th launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, 1st this year · 16th from Air launch to orbit
22 launches from this pad · 52 from Air launch to orbit
345 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did OrbView-2 launch?
OrbView-2 launched on August 1, 1997. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch OrbView-2?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched OrbView-2?
Pegasus XL, flown by Orbital Sciences Corporation. Pegasus XL spec sheet
Where did OrbView-2 launch from?
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit.
What orbit did OrbView-2 reach?
OrbView-2, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 276 × 318 km orbit inclined 98.3°.
How many satellites did OrbView-2 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).