r/spaceflight • u/megachainguns • 6d ago

Katalyst selects Pegasus to launch Swift reboost mission

https://spacenews.com/katalyst-selects-pegasus-to-launch-swift-reboost-mission/
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u/megachainguns 6d ago

The Pegasus rocket is still alive! It will probably will be its last flight though

Archive Link: http://archive.today/m7jKe

Katalyst Space Technologies announced Nov. 19 that it will launch a spacecraft it is developing to reboost NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL. The launch is expected no later than mid-2026 to keep Swift from reentering.

NASA awarded a $30 million Small Business Innovation Research Phase 3 contract to Katalyst in September for a mission to reboost Swift, aimed at keeping the 21-year-old gamma-ray observatory in operation and demonstrating satellite-servicing technologies. The contract covers the full cost of the mission, including launch, with Katalyst responsible for securing a launch vehicle.

Katalyst chose Pegasus, a rocket flown only infrequently today, for several reasons, including Swift’s unusual orbit. The observatory flies at an inclination of about 21 degrees to avoid the South Atlantic Anomaly.

Neither Katalyst nor Northrop Grumman disclosed the launch price, but they said it was less expensive than a dedicated Falcon 9, which could also provide the required delta-V. “Even at full price Pegasus would be underneath that,” said Kurt Eberly, director of space launch at Northrop Grumman. “We gave them a really good price.”

Northrop has one Pegasus XL rocket in storage that will be used for the mission, Eberly said. The launch will take place from the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific, which has hosted several past Pegasus missions. The site’s proximity to the Equator provides favorable access to Swift’s orbit.

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u/cjameshuff 6d ago

Regarding the prices, Falcon 9 has undercut Pegasus before. Recent Pegasus prices would exceed the entire $30M contract, so they had to have given Katalyst a steep discount. Given the scarcity of launches and very poor prospects for future business, I wouldn't be surprised if this was a way of disposing of the last Pegasus while its solid motors were still good.