The Pegasus is an air-launched rocket developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation (now part of Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems). Capable of carrying small payloads of up to 443 kilograms (977 lb) into low Earth orbit, the vehicle consists of three solid propellant stages and an optional monopropellant fourth stage. Pegasus is released from its carrier aircraft at approximately 40,000 ft (12,000 m), and its first stage has a wing and a tail to provide lift and attitude control while in the atmosphere.
Specifications
- Thrust
- 580 kN
- Height
- 17.6 m
- Diameter
- 1.27 m
- Launch mass
- 23 t
- Stages
- 3
- Launch cost
- $40M
- LEO capacity
- 443 kg
- GTO capacity
- 0 kg
- GEO capacity
- —
- SSO capacity
- —
Vehicle specifications from Launch Library; blanks are unpublished figures.
Flight record
Flights
32
Launches with a definitive outcome
Success rate
90.6%
29 of 32
Current success streak
26
Landings
0
0 attempts · 0 droneship / 0 RTLS
Fastest turnaround
—
Between consecutive booster flights
Counted from padside's own launch record — the same basis as the Stats page.
Launches
- Pegasus XL | Swift Boost Mission — Success
- Pegasus XL | Odyssey (TacRL-2) — Success
- Pegasus XL | Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) — Success
- Pegasus XL | 8 x CYGNSS — Success
- Pegasus XL | Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) — Success