Northrop Grumman launched a Pegasus rocket on July 3 using its modified Lockheed L-1011 Stargazer, supporting a NASA mission intended to extend the operational life of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.
The three-stage Pegasus rocket released the LINK robotic servicing spacecraft, developed by Katalyst Space, after Stargazer climbed to about 41,000 ft over the Pacific near Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Once separated from the aircraft, the rocket ignited its first-stage motor and placed the spacecraft into orbit.
See also: Lockheed L-1011 TriStar: the advanced jet that arrived at the wrong time
LINK will rendezvous with the Swift Observatory, which has operated since its launch in 2004 despite an original design life of just two years. The mission aims to raise the satellite's orbit and enable additional years of scientific observations.
The launch also marked another flight for Stargazer, widely regarded as the world's only airworthy Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. The aircraft returned to flight in January after a period without orbital launch missions, reaffirming that both the airplane and the Pegasus system remained available for future operations.
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Built in 1974 for Air Canada, the L-1011 was acquired by Orbital Sciences in the early 1990s and extensively modified to carry Pegasus beneath its fuselage. The aircraft entered service as a launch platform in 1994 and has since supported dozens of orbital missions from sites around the world.
Pegasus itself first flew in 1990 as the world's first privately developed orbital launch vehicle. Unlike conventional rockets, it is released from its carrier aircraft at high altitude before igniting its engines, a concept that reduces dependence on fixed launch pads and provides greater flexibility in selecting launch locations and orbital inclinations.
Northrop Grumman said this was the 46th Pegasus mission. Before departing for the Pacific, the rocket and spacecraft were integrated beneath Stargazer at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, from where the aircraft ferried the payload to Kwajalein Atoll for the launch campaign.
