Odyssey (TacRL-2)

Overview

Destination: Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Mission: Government/Top Secret

Sun-Synchronous Orbit Vandenberg Space Force Base Air launch to orbit

Payload for the US Space Force’s Tactically Responsive Launch program. It is a space domain awareness satellite that was procured under the Space Force's responsive launch program. The spacecraft was built in under a year and the launch provider was given three weeks of notice for the launch.

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • June 13, 2021, 10:28 a.m.

Launch success.


Cosmic_Penguin • June 13, 2021, 8:55 a.m.

Launched


Nosu • June 10, 2021, 6:27 p.m.

Updating T-0 and setting GO


Nosu • June 9, 2021, 7:15 p.m.

NET June 13 based on navigational warnings


Nosu • June 8, 2021, 9:23 a.m.

Adding launch TBD June


Pegasus XL

Family:
Configuration:

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
  • Max Stage
    3
  • Length
    17.6 m
  • Diameter
    1.27 m
  • Fairing Diameter
  • Launch Mass
    23.0 T
  • Thrust
    580.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Pegasus XL
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Pegasus XL
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $40000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    443.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Orbital Sciences Corporation

Orbital Sciences Corporation

(OSC)

Successes: 65 Failures: 7 Pending: 0

Agency Type:

INFO WIKI

Related News

SpaceNews

Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus rocket launches U.S. Space Force mission

A Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket launched the U.S. Space Force Tactically Responsive Launch-2 (TacRL-2) mission June 13 at 1:11 a.m. Pacific from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.

Spaceflight Now

Pegasus rocket successful in responsive launch demonstration

A Northrop Grumman Pegasus rocket dropped from the belly of a carrier jet over the Pacific Ocean early Sunday and streaked into orbit with a small U.S. military space surveillance satellite named Odyssey, demonstrating a rapid launch capab…

Spaceflight Now

Hush-hush military satellite ready to ride Pegasus rocket into orbit

A small U.S. military satellite named Odyssey, designed and built in less than a year by a secretive new Space Force special projects unit, is set to launch early Sunday from an aircraft off the coast of California aboard a Northrop Grumma…

NASA Spaceflight

Pegasus XL rocket successfully launches Tactically Responsive Launch demo for Space Force

Northrop Grumman’s air-launched Pegasus XL rocket made a low-profile launch for the US Space Force Sunday, in a mission designed to demonstrate the ability to call up and conduct a launch at short notice. The launch occurred off the coast …

Air launch to orbit

Vandenberg Space Force Base


Long March 2F/G
Success
14 hours, 39 minutes ago
Shenzhou 23
Launch Area 91 (SLS-1 / 921) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Shenzhou 23 will be the 23rd flight of the Shenzhou program.


Starship
Success
2 days, 7 hours ago
Flight 12
Orbital Launch Pad 2 - SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA

12th test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle. Maiden Flight of Starship V3. The flight test’s primary goal will be to demonstrate eac…


Electron
Success
2 days, 20 hours ago
Viva La StriX (StriX Launch 9)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 19 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-31
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 3 hours ago
Starlink Group 17-42
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Vega-C
Success
6 days, 1 hour ago
Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE)
Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV) - Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Joint mission between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to investigate the interaction between Earth’s protective shield …


Long March 8
Success
1 week ago
SpaceSail Polar Group #9
Commercial LC-1 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

18 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies with…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Dragon CRS-2 SpX-34
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

34th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station operated by SpaceX. The flight will be conducted under the second Commer…


Kinetica 1
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
5 satellites
Launch Area 130 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Share-ride of 5 satellites to sun-synchronous orbit: * Taijing-3-05A/B * Tianyi-50 * Tianyan-27 * Jilin-1 HR-03D-55


Zhuque-2E Block 2
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
Mass Simulator
Launch Area 96A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

2.8 tonnes Mass Simulator launched to a 900 km polar orbit on a test flight proving further upgrades to the ZQ-2E, including a longer 1st stage and e…