Orbital Sciences CorporationPegasus XLVandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit
Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS)
Launched
July 2, 1996
Image: NASA/Laurie Losey
Summary
TOMS-EP launched on an Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit on July 2, 1996. It was Orbital Sciences Corporation's 13th launch, 3rd this year and humanity's 4,082nd orbital launch attempt. It was the 4th Pegasus XL flight and the 2nd this year. The payload was bound for Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). Earth Probe TOMS, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 343 × 943 km orbit inclined 97.4°. 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
- 4th Pegasus XL flight · 2nd this yearOrbital Sciences Corporation's 13th launch3rd this yearhumanity's 4,082nd orbital launch attempt41st orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Earth Probe TOMS · NORAD 23940 · 1996-037 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TOMS EP
- Object ID
- 1996-037A
- Epoch
- 1996-07-02 08:49:49 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.77947043 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0427809
- Inclination
- 97.3953°
- Ascending node
- 90.2985°
- Arg. of perigee
- 164.8715°
- Mean anomaly
- 196.5357°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0.00001
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
- Earth Probe TOMS · NORAD 23940 · in orbit
Pegasus F12 Stage 3 · re-entered September 5, 2000
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
TOMS-EP (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer - Earth Probe) was a small NASA satellite built by TRW to map global column ozone daily and track UV-absorbing aerosols. Planned for two years, it operated until 2006.
Pad
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit
6th launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, 3rd this year · 12th from Air launch to orbit
22 launches from this pad · 52 from Air launch to orbit
46 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did TOMS-EP launch?
TOMS-EP launched on July 2, 1996. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch TOMS-EP?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched TOMS-EP?
Pegasus XL, flown by Orbital Sciences Corporation. Pegasus XL spec sheet
Where did TOMS-EP launch from?
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit.
What orbit did TOMS-EP reach?
Earth Probe TOMS, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 343 × 943 km orbit inclined 97.4°.
How many satellites did TOMS-EP launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).