Pegasus user’s guide – Orbital Pegasus User Manual
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Release 7.0
Apr 2010
47
Pegasus User’s Guide
Payload Processing: Receipt and checkout of
the satellite payload, followed by integration
with Pegasus and verification of interfaces;
and
Launch Operations: Mating of Pegasus with
the carrier aircraft, take-off, and launch.
Each of these phases is more fully described
below. Orbital maintains launch site management
and test scheduling responsibilities throughout the
entire launch operations cycle. Figure 7-2
provides a typical schedule of the integration
process through launch.
7.1.1. Launch Vehicle Integration
7.1.1.1. Integration Sites
All major vehicle subassemblies are delivered
from the factory to the VAB at Orbital’s integration
sites. Orbital’s primary integration site is located
at VAFB, California. Through the use of the OCA,
this integration site can support launches
throughout the world. The pre-launch activities
(following Pegasus/OCA mate) are conducted
from a hazardous cargo area referred to as the
Hot Pad. The VAFB OCA Hot Pad area is shown
in Figure 7-3.
In support of Pegasus processing at the
integration site, the following Pegasus GSE is
maintained at the VAB:
An AIT, stationary rails, and motor dollies for
serial processing of Pegasus missions.
Equipment for transportation, delivery, loading
and unloading of the Pegasus vehicle
components.
Equipment for nominal integration and test of
a Pegasus vehicle.
Equipment to maintain standard payload
environmental control requirements.
General equipment to allow mating of the
payload with the Pegasus vehicle (Orbital
does not provide payload-specific equipment).
Figure 7-1. Typical Processing Flow