Pegasus XL rocket dusted off to rescue NASA’s Swift observatory from fiery demise

NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, facing the risk of an uncontrolled dive back to Earth, is set for a rescue ride on a Pegasus XL, the air-dropped rocket that hasn't flown since 2021. Flagstaff-based Katalyst has announced that the rocket to launch its LINK spacecraft on a rescue mission will be Northrop Grumman's Pegasus …

[G40]

Thunderbirds

Please be go!

[YTC#1]

Re: Thunderbirds

More Steve Zodiac, I believe

[YTC#1]

Re: Thunderbirds

More Steve Zodiac

[that one in the corner]

Re: Thunderbirds

Colonel Paul Foster would like to talk to you about the SHADO Moon Transporter*

* Please ignore the obvious error where it that page says that the "rear section returns to earth" when the images make it obvious that the forward section does that. Ever since TV21 folded you just don't get the same levels of journalistic accuracy you used to (or the neat cutaway diagrams).

[The commentard formerly known as Mister_C]

The film is making itself

A rocket that hasn't been flown in years.

The last remaining launch aircraft sits at the back of a derelict hangar, half its non-vital instruments missing and the others only working intermittently.

Only needs a washed-up flight crew arguing amongst themselves and a steely-eyed rocket man who knows that failure isn't an option...

Get your people to contact my people, we need to do lunch sometime.

[blu3b3rry]

Re: The film is making itself

I guess if it fails, it's always possible to dust off whatever infrastructure is left at RAAF Woomera if they get really desperate.

[PB90210]

Re: The film is making itself

A half remembered story about dusting of a Vulcan bomber to make that trip down to the Falklands to deny the Argies the use of the runway at Port Stanley...

They were missing a vital piece... discovered in the mess, being used as an ashtray!

[MachDiamond]

Re: The film is making itself

"The last remaining launch aircraft sits at the back of a derelict hangar, half its non-vital instruments missing and the others only working intermittently."

It sits behind the control tower at Mojave Airport and does get flown from time to time so the pilots keep up their proficiency. I've put it on my schedule to keep an eye out for since it could wind up being the last mission. I have a photo of Stargazer, Stratolaunch and White Knight Two in one frame after a SpaceShip 2 test flight.

Reality is boring which is why Hollywood and its spiritual brethren have to make stuff up. Taking an aircraft that's been stripped for parts out of the back of a hanger where its sat for ages and flying it isn't something a sane pilot would want to do. I expect when Stargazer finally goes to the knackers, the engines will be the first things removed and that will be the end of that if there is any market for them (as turbine generators running on natural gas).

[John Brown (no body)]

50:50 chance?

"launches in June 2026...a 50 percent chance of an uncontrolled reentry by mid-2026"

So, there's only a 50:50 chance it will still be in orbit by the time of the launch date? The implication also being that there may be a 25% chance it comes down in April. Or sooner.

Good luck to them, I think they may need it, especially with a rocket and launch system not used for 5 years and might well suffer unforeseen delays.

[AVR]

Tunnel vision

If it's hard to reach from US launch sites except via Pegasus...there's one other option. This isn't a military sat for which you must keep the supply chain clear of foreign influences.

[nematoad]

So, sometimes the old solutions are the best solutions.

I do wish someone would tell that to the likes of Lennart Poettering.

[nolan]

Why is Swift out of wack?

[Hopalong]

Swift is 21+ years into a 2 year mission.

Basically Its orbit is decaying, the recent increase in solar activity would not have helped as it causes the atmosphere to expand a bit, so increasing drag, hence the need for a re-boost to get it back to its designed 600km orbit.

It was launched 22 years ago today (20th November) on a Delta II.

[MachDiamond]

"Swift is 21+ years into a 2 year mission."

If it's still doing good science, it would be cheaper to boost the orbit than replacing it with something new years down the road.