# Northrop Grumman Pegasus Xl
*launch services*

Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL air-launched small-lift rocket, carried by Stargazer L-1011 and used for small payloads to low Earth orbit.

## Specifications
- **vehicle family**: Pegasus XL
- **payload to leo kg**: 450
- **entity type**: launch_service
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-16
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: unclaimed
- **provider**: northrop-grumman
- **attributes**: {"vehicle_family":"Pegasus XL","payload_to_leo_kg":450,"description":"Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL air-launched small-lift rocket, carried by Stargazer L-1011 and used for small payloads to low Earth orbit."}

## Editorial
Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL is an air-launched small-lift orbital vehicle carried by the Stargazer L-1011 aircraft and released at altitude before its solid rocket stages ignite.[^northrop-pegasus-page][^northrop-pegasus-datasheet][^ussf-tacrl2] Northrop Grumman provides the launch service and documents Pegasus XL as a three-stage vehicle for small satellites to LEO.[^northrop-pegasus-page][^northrop-pegasus-guide]

Published performance is up to 1,000 lb, or 450 kg, to low Earth orbit.[^northrop-pegasus-datasheet] The vehicle first flew in 1990 and remained active in June 2026, with Pegasus XL attached to Stargazer on 2026-06-12 for Katalyst Space's LINK mission to boost the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.[^northrop-pegasus-datasheet][^nasa-swift-pegasus-attach][^nasa-swift-preview]

By 2021, Pegasus had conducted 45 missions and 31 consecutive fully successful missions; a U.S. Space Force TacRL-2 Pegasus XL mission launched successfully on 2021-06-13.[^northrop-pegasus-datasheet][^ussf-tacrl2]

## Sources
- [northrop-pegasus-page] | Pegasus Rocket, Northrop Grumman | https://www.northropgrumman.com/what-we-do/space/launch-vehicles/pegasus | tier=operator-marketing | accessed=2026-06-16
- [northrop-pegasus-datasheet] | Pegasus Datasheet, Northrop Grumman | https://cdn.northropgrumman.com/-/media/Project/Northrop-Grumman/ngc/what-we-do/space/launch-vehicles/pegasus/datasheet-pegasus.pdf | tier=operator-datasheet | accessed=2026-06-16 | published=2021-04-02
- [northrop-pegasus-guide] | Pegasus User's Guide, Northrop Grumman | https://cdn.northropgrumman.com/-/media/wp-content/uploads/Pegasus-User-Guide-1.pdf | tier=operator-engineering | accessed=2026-06-16 | published=2020-09-01
- [ussf-tacrl2] | U.S. Space Force successfully launches first tactically responsive launch mission | https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/article/2656082/us-space-force-successfully-launches-first-tactically-responsive-launch-mission/ | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-16 | published=2021-06-13
- [nasa-swift-pegasus-attach] | Rocket Attached to Aircraft for Katalyst-NASA Swift Boost, NASA | https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/swift/2026/06/15/rocket-attached-to-aircraft-for-katalyst-nasa-swift-boost/ | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-16 | published=2026-06-15
- [nasa-swift-preview] | NASA to Preview Katalyst Mission to Boost Swift Spacecraft's Orbit | https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-to-preview-katalyst-mission-to-boost-swift-spacecrafts-orbit/ | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-16 | published=2026-06-11

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/launch_services/northrop-grumman-pegasus-xl
Maintainer: SpectraWorks B.V. (CC-BY 4.0)