Third Time's A Charm For CYGNSS | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

 Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-06.23.25

Airborne-NextGen-06.24.25

AirborneUnlimited-06.25.25

Airborne-AffordableFlyers-06.26.25

AirborneUnlimited-06.27.25

Fri, Dec 16, 2016

Third Time's A Charm For CYGNSS

Eight Satellites Launched Thursday Morning Using Pegasus Rocket

After two aborted attempts, NASA and Orbital ATK launched a constellation of eight microsatellites using a Pegasus rocket released from Orbital's Stargazer L-1011 aircraft Thursday morning.

The rocket carried eight satellites that will be part of the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS). The spacecraft will monitor tropical cyclones using GPS data to more accurately track storm speed, course and strength.

Spaceflight Insider reports that five seconds after release, the Pegasus rocket fired its first stage for 65 seconds. The second stage burn lasted 161 seconds, at which point the payload fairing was jettisoned. The third stage then ignited, and lofted the satellites into their assigned orbit.

Science operations are expected to begin two months after launch.

The small size of the satellites means they cannot carry fuel that would allow them to be steered to study specific storms. But multiple satellites means that any point in the tropics can expect a flyover approximately every seven hours.

(Image from NASA TV video)

FMI: www.nasa.gov, www.orbitalatk.com

Advertisement

More News

NTSB Final Report: Douglas A-4K

Pilot Applied Full Aft Stick And Nose-Up Trim, But The Airplane Remained On The Runway Analysis: The pilot reported that a preflight inspection and flight control checks revealed n>[...]

ANN FAQ: Q&A 101

A Few Questions AND Answers To Help You Get MORE Out of ANN! 1) I forgot my password. How do I find it? 1) Easy... click here and give us your e-mail address--we'll send it to you >[...]

Classic Aero-TV: PBY Catalina--From Wartime to Double Sunrise to the Long Sunset

From 2022 (YouTube Edition): Before They’re All Gone... Humankind has been messing about in airplanes for almost 120-years. In that time, thousands of aircraft representing i>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (07.01.25): Advanced Air Mobility (AAM)

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) A transportation system that transports people and property by air between two points in the NAS using aircraft with advanced technologies, including el>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (07.01.25)

Aero Linx: MQ-1B Predator The MQ-1B Predator is an armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft that is employed primarily as an intelligence-col>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Change Display

Headlines Only | Headlines w/ Teasers | View Everything

Advertisement

Top Videos

Airborne Affordable Flyers 07.03.25: Sonex HW, BlackShape Gabriel, PRA Fly-In 25

Airborne 07.02.25: TikToker Arrested, Vietnam A/L Ground Hit, ATC Modernization

Airborne-NextGen 07.01.25: Volocopter Returns, B23 Energic, Iran Tech In UAVs?

See All

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC