BY JUSTIN RAY

Follow the preparations and launch of the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket with OrbImage's OrbView 3 Earth-imaging spacecraft. Reload this page for the very latest on the mission.

Video coverage for subscribers only:
   AUDIO: LAUNCH TEAM GIVES PLAY-BY-PLAY CALL OF THE FLIGHT QT
   SUBSCRIBE NOW

THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2003

A commercial satellite that will snap sharp photos of Earth's surface soared into space Thursday, boosting a Virginia-based company's hopes of establishing a foothold in the high-resolution imaging business. Read our full story.

2046 GMT (4:46 p.m. EDT)

The OrbView 3 spacecraft has been deployed from the Pegasus rocket today following a successful launch, Orbital Sciences confirms. The satellite is powered up and all appears to be operating well.

2030 GMT (4:30 p.m. EDT)

There is still no word from Orbital Sciences on the deployment of OrbView 3. We will update this page as soon as information becomes available.

1903 GMT (3:03 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 10 minutes. The launch team is reporting that the orbit achieved today has a high point of 434 km, low point of 367 km and inclination of 97.29 degrees to the equator. That orbit is very close to the target, officials say.

OrbView 3 will maneuver itself into the final operational orbit of about 470 km circular.

1902 GMT (3:02 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 9 minutes, 35 seconds. It will be in over an hour before Orbital will announce separation of the OrbView 3 spacecraft. That will happen when the satellite passes over a ground station in Alaska.

1902 GMT (3:02 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 9 minutes, 5 seconds. The rocket has now passed out of range from the telemetry coverage zone at Vandenberg as expected.

1901 GMT (3:01 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 8 minutes, 23 seconds. The third stage has burned out, completing the powered phase of OrbView 3's launch.

1900 GMT (3:00 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 7 minutes, 50 seconds. Third stage continues its burn. Attitude is still normal.

1900 GMT (3:00 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 7 minutes, 30 seconds. The third stage has reached maximum pressure.

1900 GMT (3:00 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 7 minutes, 7 seconds. Confirmation has been received of ignition by the solid-fueled third stage motor, accelerating the OrbView 3 spacecraft to its orbit.

1859 GMT (2:59 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 6 minutes, 55 seconds. The spent second stage has separated. Standing by for ignition of the upper stage.

1859 GMT (2:59 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 6 minutes, 35 seconds. Pegasus is now in the right attitude for third stage ignition.

1859 GMT (2:59 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 6 minutes, 5 seconds. The vehicle is now reorienting in preparation for stage separation and third stage burn.

1858 GMT (2:58 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 5 minutes, 10 seconds. Altitude has passed 300 km. Good attitude on the rocket and the power buses are nominal.

1857 GMT (2:57 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 4 minutes. Everything appears to be going very well in the flight of Pegasus with OrbView 3.

1856 GMT (2:56 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 3 minutes, 30 seconds. Altitude is currently 220 km.

Third stage ignition is now calculated to occur at T+plus 7 minutes, 0 seconds. The start time based upon the performance of the vehicle's first two stages.

1855 GMT (2:55 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 2 minutes, 55 seconds. The solid-fueled second stage has burned out. The Pegasus rocket is now in a coast period for the next few minutes. During this time the rocket will compute the performance of the flight thus far and adjust the third stage ignition time if necessary.

1855 GMT (2:55 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 2 minute, 35 seconds. The vehicle's attitude remains nominal following separation of the fairing.

1855 GMT (2:55 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 2 minute, 20 seconds. The two halves of the payload fairing enclosing the OrbView 3 satellite on the end of the Pegasus rocket has been jettisoned. Second stage continues to burn.

1855 GMT (2:55 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 2 minutes. The second stage motor has reached maximum pressure.

1854 GMT (2:54 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 1 minute, 35 seconds. The first stage is jettisoned. The Pegasus' second stage has ignited.

1854 GMT (2:54 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 1 minute, 18 seconds. The solid-fueled first stage has burned out. The vehicle is now in a ballistic coast for a few seconds before the spent stage is jettisoned and the second stage ignites.

1854 GMT (2:54 p.m. EDT)

T+60 seconds. Altitude 100,000 feet.

1853 GMT (2:53 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 45 seconds. The Pegasus rocket is passing through maximum dynamic pressure. Attitude of the vehicle is reported normal.

1853 GMT (2:53 p.m. EDT)

T+plus 30 seconds. The Pegasus rocket is pitched up as it climbs into the sky on the power of its solid-fueled first stage motor.

1853 GMT (2:53 p.m. EDT)

IGNITION. The OrbView 3 spacecraft is en route to orbit to snap high resolution images of Earth.

1853 GMT (2:53 p.m. EDT)

DROP. The Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket has been released from the L-1011 aircraft.

1852 GMT (2:52 p.m. EDT)

T-minus 30 seconds. The batteries for the first stage flight control fins have been activated, allowing the fins to undergo a sweep test prior to launch. The fins are used to steer the rocket during its initial climb to space.

With the batteries activated there is just 90 seconds to launch today or else an abort will be called. That is due to the limited life of the batteries.

In the final moments prior to release of Pegasus, the L-1011 carrier aircraft crew will oversee the last seconds of the countdown and flip the switch that will drop the three-stage vehicle, with the OrbView 3 spacecraft aboard, from the belly of the jet.

1851 GMT (2:51 p.m. EDT)

Data recorders in the telemetry receiving lab are starting. Launch is just a couple minutes away.

1849 GMT (2:49 p.m. EDT)

The transient power bus has switched to internal and the rocket's guidance computer is going to free inertial mode.

1848 GMT (2:48 p.m. EDT)

The Range confirms its clearance to launch.

1847 GMT (2:47 p.m. EDT)

The launch team has been given a "go" to enter the final phase of the countdown.

1846 GMT (2:46 p.m. EDT)

The Pegasus rocket's avionics have switching from power provided by the L-1011 to internal battery power with no problems reported.

1845 GMT (2:45 p.m. EDT)

The Air Force launch weather officer confirms conditions are "go."

1844 GMT (2:44 p.m. EDT)

Checks of the flight termination system are reported nominal. The system would be used to destroy the Pegasus rocket in the event a problem during launch.

1842 GMT (2:42 p.m. EDT)

The flight termination system is running on internal power.

1841 GMT (2:41 p.m. EDT)

The launch team reports they are ready to switch the rocket's flight termination system to internal power.

1837 GMT (2:37 p.m. EDT)

The L-1011 launch crew has resolved a minor glitch with a frozen telemetry monitor. Everything continues to look good for launch today of the Pegasus rocket and OrbView 3.

1830 GMT (2:30 p.m. EDT)

Today marks the 34th flight of the air-launched Pegasus rocket and the third this year. The Orbital Sciences-made booster successfully deployed NASA's SORCE spacecraft in January and the space agency's GALEX satellite in April.

One more launch is planned in 2003. The Canadian SciSat spacecraft is slated for flight in August.

1820 GMT (2:20 p.m. EDT)

No problems are being worked as the countdown continues, Orbital officials say.

1810 GMT (2:10 p.m. EDT)

Stargazer continues its climb to the cruising altitude of about 39,000 feet. The aircraft is following a predetermined "race track" course that will put it in the right spot for dropping the Pegasus rocket about 100 miles off the California coastline.

1801 GMT (2:01 p.m. EDT)

The Western Range has completed evaluations of the C-band tracking system.

1757 GMT (1:57 p.m. EDT)

WHEELS UP. The "Stargazer" carrier aircraft with the Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket has departed Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for today's launch to place the OrbView 3 spacecraft into orbit.

1752 GMT (1:52 p.m. EDT)

A poll of the launch team has been completed, confirming all systems are "go" for takeoff of the L-1011 aircraft.

1748 GMT (1:48 p.m. EDT)

The launch team continues working down their various checklists in support of today's mission. The carrier jet should be in the air within a matter of minutes.

1735 GMT (1:35 p.m. EDT)

The taxi to the runway is now complete.

1728 GMT (1:28 p.m. EDT)

The carrier aircraft, with the Pegasus rocket mounted to its belly, is currently rolling from its staging area to the runway at Vandenberg in preparation for takeoff.

1725 GMT (1:25 p.m. EDT)

Launch is now about 90 minutes away. There are no reports from Orbital Sciences of any problems today.

1700 GMT (1:00 p.m. EDT)

The countdown is underway at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for today's launch of the OrbView 3 commercial Earth-imaging satellite aboard an Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket.

The Pegasus countdown lasts a little less than five hours. It features a series of ground-based events such as final preparations to the OrbView 3 payload, performing power tests on the rocket and checking the Range Safety's Flight Termination System.

The L-1011 carrier aircraft will taxi to the runway shortly. Takeoff it expected around 1755 GMT. The jet will fly a pre-determined "race track" pattern over the Pacific to reach the proper launch point where Pegasus will be released to roar into orbit.

Today's launch window extends from 1850 to 1905 GMT.

THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2003

An air-launched Pegasus XL rocket will ferry the OrbView 3 commercial Earth-imaging satellite into polar orbit today. Flying off the central coast of California, the winged booster will be dropped from the belly of a modified jet around 1855 GMT (2:55 p.m. EDT) for its 9-minute flight to space.

The mission will begin about an hour earlier when the "Stargazer" carrier aircraft takes off from Vandenberg Air Force Base bound for a preset launch point over the Pacific Ocean.

The day's available launch window extends from 1850 to 1905 GMT (2:50-3:05 p.m. EDT)

With the push of a button in the aircraft's cockpit, the Orbital Sciences-built rocket is released from "Stargazer" to free fall for five seconds. The first stage solid-fueled motor of Pegasus is then ignited to begin the powered journey to orbit with the OrbView 3 spacecraft.

At T+1 minute, 15 seconds, the Orion 50S XL first stage motor consumes all of its solid-fuel propellant and burns out. A short 16-second ballistic coast period begins before the spent first stage is separated to fall into the Pacific Ocean.

A second later, the Pegasus rocket's Orion 50 XL second stage begins firing to continue the trip to orbit. During the firing, at T+2 minutes, 12 seconds, the payload fairing that protected the OrbView 3 satellite during atmospheric ascent is jettisoned.

Having consumed its supply of solid-fuel propellant, the second stage motor burns out at T+2 minutes, 45 seconds. A longer coast period now begins before releasing the spent stage at T+plus 6 minutes, 44 seconds.

The solid-fueled Orion 38 third stage ignites at T+plus 7 minutes, 5 seconds to deliver the OrbView spacecraft into the desired orbit around Earth's poles. That orbit is achieved with cutoff of the third stage at T+8 minutes, 14 seconds.

Release of OrbView from the launcher occurs at T+plus 9 minutes, 14 seconds, completing the Pegasus rocket's 34th launch since debuting in 1990.

Pegasus injects OrbView 3 into an initial parking orbit. The spacecraft will maneuver itself into the final operational orbit 470 kilometers high, inclined at 97 degrees to the equator.

Built by Orbital Sciences, OrbView 3 will be operated by OrbImage to snap high-resolution imagery of Earth's surface for government and commercial users. The craft is capable of producing one-meter resolution panchromatic (black and white) and four-meter resolution multispectral (color) imagery.

"We already have a backlog in anticipation of the launch of OrbView 3 -- over $300 million on contract -- so it's pretty important to our future," Timothy Puckorius, OrbImage's senior vice president for worldwide marketing and sales, said in an interview this week.

This satellite follows the loss of OrbView 4 in September 2001 when an Orbital Sciences Taurus rocket malfunctioned during launch. The craft failed to reach a safe altitude and plunged back to Earth soon after liftoff from Vandenberg.

Watch this page for live updates during today's flight of the Pegasus rocket!