Orbital Sciences CorporationPegasus XLVandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit
Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE)
Launched
April 2, 1998 · 02:42 UTC
Image: NASA/Laurie Losey
Summary
TRACE launched on an Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit on April 2, 1998 at 02:42 UTC. It was Orbital Sciences Corporation's 23rd launch, 3rd this year and humanity's 4,228th orbital launch attempt. It was the 12th Pegasus XL flight and the 2nd this year. The payload was bound for Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). TRACE, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 605 × 651 km orbit inclined 97.8°. 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
- Heliophysics · Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO)
- Milestone
- 12th Pegasus XL flight · 2nd this yearOrbital Sciences Corporation's 23rd launch3rd this yearhumanity's 4,228th orbital launch attempt21st orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
TRACE · NORAD 25280 · 1998-020 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TRACE
- Object ID
- 1998-020A
- Epoch
- 1998-04-02 03:44:35 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.82635128 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0033295
- Inclination
- 97.801°
- Ascending node
- 280.2937°
- Arg. of perigee
- 172.8587°
- Mean anomaly
- 187.3108°
- 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: SSO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
2 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage; none still in orbit
- TRACE · NORAD 25280 · re-entered July 18, 2025
Pegasus F21 Stage 3 · re-entered December 8, 2025
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
The Transition Region and Coronal Explorer was a NASA Small Explorer solar observatory that imaged the Sun's corona and transition region in ultraviolet from a sun-synchronous orbit. It operated from 1998 until 2010.
Pad
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit
10th launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, 2nd this year · 20th from Air launch to orbit
22 launches from this pad · 52 from Air launch to orbit
34 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did TRACE launch?
TRACE launched on April 2, 1998 at 02:42 UTC.
Where can I watch TRACE?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched TRACE?
Pegasus XL, flown by Orbital Sciences Corporation. Pegasus XL spec sheet
Where did TRACE launch from?
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit.
What orbit did TRACE reach?
TRACE, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 605 × 651 km orbit inclined 97.8°.
How many satellites did TRACE launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).