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Pegasus Standard Series

The original-length Pegasus series comprised the B-52-launched Standard and Standard-with-HAPS configurations and the later L-1011-launched Hybrid adaptation. Ten vehicles flew from 1990 through 2000.

Pegasus Standard Series
NASA Kennedy Space Center · NASA/KSC asset; NASA’s KSC-07PD-0975 catalog identifies Kennedy Space Center (KSC), credits the photograph to NASA, and describes the exact mated Pegasus XL/AIM vehicle. NASA’s current Images and Media Usage Guidelines generally permit factual or informational/editorial use with NASA attribution and without implying NASA endorsement. This image visibly includes NASA insignia and Orbital, ATK, AIM, CLASP, and U.S. marks; those logos, trademarks, and any third-party rights are separately restricted or clearance-sensitive. This credit does not grant trademark or third-party rights; verify any commercial, promotional, merchandise, or other protected-rights use. · Source
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Identity

Aliases
Original Pegasus series
Family Name
Pegasus
Full Name
Pegasus Standard Series
Status
retired
Type
rocket
Variant Name
Standard Series

Details

Description
The original-length Pegasus series comprised the B-52-launched Standard and Standard-with-HAPS configurations and the later L-1011-launched Hybrid adaptation. Ten vehicles flew from 1990 through 2000.
First Flight Year
1,990
Last Flight Year
2,000
Manufacturer
Operator
Parent Vehicle Family
Propulsion Configurations
  • Entries
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      first stage
      Variant Notes
      Orion 50S first-stage motor on the original winged, air-launched Pegasus Standard vehicle.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      upper
      Propulsion System
      Role
      upper-stage
      Stage
      second stage
      Variant Notes
      Orion 50 second-stage motor; do not substitute Orion 50XL from the Pegasus XL branch.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      upper
      Propulsion System
      Role
      upper-stage
      Stage
      third stage
      Variant Notes
      Orion 38 third-stage motor; exact canonical system reused from the Pegasus XL record.
    Name
    Pegasus Standard exact three-stage configuration
    Notes
    NASA's 1998 launch-vehicle table and Northrop Grumman's Orion Motor Series identify the original Pegasus Standard stack as Orion 50S, Orion 50, and Orion 38 in first-, second-, and third-stage positions. This configuration is limited to the original Standard branch; Standard with HAPS, Hybrid, Pegasus XL, and Pegasus XL with HAPS remain separate siblings and are not merged here.
Rocket Specs
Reusability
expendable
Stages Count
3

Links

Official Url
https://www.northropgrumman.com/wp-content/uploads/Pegasus-User-Guide-1.pdf
Wikipedia Url
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_Pegasus#Rocket_configurations

Assets & Meta

Creation Time
July 13, 2026 at 10:51:27 UTC
Updated Time
August 1, 2026 at 15:44:36 UTC
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Pegasus Standard Series - AeroVia