Orbital Sciences CorporationPegasus XLVandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit
Wide Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE)
Launched
March 5, 1999
Image: NASA/Laurie Losey
Summary
WIRE launched on an Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit on March 5, 1999. It was Orbital Sciences Corporation's 29th launch, 1st this year and humanity's 4,300th orbital launch attempt. It was the 14th Pegasus XL flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). WIRE, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 546 × 597 km orbit inclined 97.5°. 3 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
- Astrophysics · Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO)
- Milestone
- 14th Pegasus XL flight · 1st this yearOrbital Sciences Corporation's 29th launch1st this yearhumanity's 4,300th orbital launch attempt11th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
WIRE · NORAD 25646 · 1999-011 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- WIRE
- Object ID
- 1999-011A
- Epoch
- 1999-03-05 03:56:51 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.00838183 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0036689
- Inclination
- 97.5294°
- Ascending node
- 259.6745°
- Arg. of perigee
- 173.1016°
- Mean anomaly
- 185.7591°
- 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
3 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage, 1 component; none still in orbit
- WIRE · NORAD 25646 · re-entered May 10, 2011
Pegasus F26 Stage 3 · re-entered September 6, 2007
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
The Wide Field Infrared Explorer was a NASA Small Explorer intended to survey starburst galaxies in the infrared. Its telescope cover ejected prematurely and the cryogen boiled off within days, ending the primary mission, though its star tracker was later used for asteroseismology.
Pad
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit
12th launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, 1st this year · 25th from Air launch to orbit
22 launches from this pad · 52 from Air launch to orbit
89 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did WIRE launch?
WIRE launched on March 5, 1999. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch WIRE?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched WIRE?
Pegasus XL, flown by Orbital Sciences Corporation. Pegasus XL spec sheet
Where did WIRE launch from?
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Air launch to orbit.
What orbit did WIRE reach?
WIRE, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 546 × 597 km orbit inclined 97.5°.
How many satellites did WIRE launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).