The Pegasus rocket has reached orbit more than 45 times since 1990 by launching from an L-1011 TriStar at 40,000 feet - one of aviation's most underappreciated contributions to spaceflight.
VectorWhy Virgin Orbit's Boeing 747 air-launch system reached orbit but still went bankrupt - the physics and economics explained.
VectorRadio Hangar explores Pegasus and the Stargazer, the L Ten Eleven Airliner That Drops a Rocket Off Its Belly to Reach Orbit.
VectorWhy air-launched rockets like Pegasus and LauncherOne worked technically but never beat conventional launch on cost.
VectorAir-launch drops a rocket from a jet at 40,000 feet to skip thick air - but orbit is a speed problem, and that's why the idea stalled.
VectorHow air-launch to orbit works, why Pegasus still flies, and why dropping a rocket off a wing is harder and pricier than it sounds.
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