Rocket file · LV-173
Pegasus XL
Photograph: NASA/Laurie Losey · NASA Image and Media Guidelines · licence
Pegasus XL is an expendable launch vehicle built by Orbital Sciences Corporation. It stands 17.6 m tall, lifts 443 kg to low Earth orbit, first flew on 27 June 1994. It has flown 32 times with 29 successes, a success rate of 90.6%. It has nothing on the Launch Library 2 schedule right now.
Specification
Vehicle spec sheet
As listed by Launch Library 2. The cost is Launch Library’s figure, not a quoted price. Figures for rockets outside the sixty most-flown were last read on 2026-11-05.
Flight record
Reliability
About Pegasus XL
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.
Upcoming flights
Manifest
There's no Pegasus XL flight on the Launch Library 2 schedule right now.
All upcoming launchesPegasus XL in the archive
From NASA's public image library and Wikimedia Commons. Each photo shows the credit its licence asks for and links back to where it came from.
Orbitburn is a gravity lander game with 25 ships. It's free on Android, and you can play it in your browser.Get it free on Google Play
Common questions
- How many times has Pegasus XL flown?
- 32 times, with 29 successes and 3 failures.
- What is Pegasus XL's success rate?
- 90.6%. That's 29 successful flights out of 32 attempts.
- When is the next Pegasus XL launch?
- Pegasus XL has nothing on the Launch Library 2 schedule right now.
- How much can Pegasus XL lift to orbit?
- Launch Library 2 lists Pegasus XL at 443 kg to low Earth orbit.
- Is Pegasus XL reusable?
- No. Launch Library 2 lists Pegasus XL as expendable, so no stage is recovered to fly again.