Orbital Sciences CorporationPegasus XLCape Canaveral, Air launch to orbit
Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE)
Launched
January 25, 2003 · 20:13 UTC
Image: NASA/Laurie Losey
Summary
SORCE launched on an Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL from Cape Canaveral, Air launch to orbit on January 25, 2003 at 20:13 UTC. It was Orbital Sciences Corporation's 40th launch, 1st this year and humanity's 4,580th orbital launch attempt. It was the 17th Pegasus XL flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). SORCE, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 622 × 657 km orbit inclined 40.0°. 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 · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 17th Pegasus XL flight · 1st this yearOrbital Sciences Corporation's 40th launch1st this yearhumanity's 4,580th orbital launch attempt4th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
SORCE · NORAD 27651 · 2003-004 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- SORCE
- Object ID
- 2003-004A
- Epoch
- 2003-01-25 22:57:12 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.7909407 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0025245
- Inclination
- 40.0011°
- Ascending node
- 215.8891°
- Arg. of perigee
- 326.2221°
- Mean anomaly
- 33.6956°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 2
- 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
2 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage; 2 still in orbit
- SORCE · NORAD 27651 · in orbit
Pegasus F32 Stage 3 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
The Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment was a NASA satellite that measured total and spectral solar irradiance for climate research, continuing the long-term solar irradiance record for 17 years.
Pad
Cape Canaveral, Air launch to orbit
4th launch from Cape Canaveral, 1st this year · 31st from Air launch to orbit
7 launches from this pad · 52 from Air launch to orbit
353 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did SORCE launch?
SORCE launched on January 25, 2003 at 20:13 UTC.
Where can I watch SORCE?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched SORCE?
Pegasus XL, flown by Orbital Sciences Corporation. Pegasus XL spec sheet
Where did SORCE launch from?
Cape Canaveral, Air launch to orbit.
What orbit did SORCE reach?
SORCE, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 622 × 657 km orbit inclined 40.0°.
How many satellites did SORCE launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).