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BROADCASTING LIVE FROM NASA’S KENNEDY SPACE
CENTER, YOU’RE WATCHING LAUNCH COVERAGE

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OF THE ICON SATELLITE.

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IT’S MISSION?…TO STUDY THE METEROLOGICAL
FRONTIER WHERE EARTH MEETS SPACE.

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ON YOUR SCREEN IS THE BACK OF THE PEGASUS
X-L ROCKET, WHICH CONTAINS ICON.

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APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES FROM NOW, THIS ROCKET
WILL LAUNCH NASA’S LATEST EARTH SCIENCE

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MISSION OFF THE EASTERN COAST OF FLORIDA,
INTO A VERY UNIQUE AND UNEXPLORED AREA OF

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SPACE.

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HELLO EVERYONE.

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I’M JENNIFER WOLFINGER AND THANKS FOR JOINING
US FOR THIS HIGHLY ANTICIPATED LAUNCH.

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THE IONOSPHERIC CONNECTION EXPLORER, OR ICON
FOR SHORT, WILL HELP SCIENTISTS UNDERSTAND

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THE PHYSICS OF OUR SPACE ENVIRONMENT, AS WELL
AS PROTECT OUR COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES AND

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ASTRONAUTS WHILE THEY’RE IN ORBIT.

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WHAT SEPARATES ICON FROM TRADITIONAL ROCKET
LAUNCHES IS THAT THE NORTHROP GRUMMAN PEGASUS

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X-L ROCKET WILL LAUNCH FROM THE BOTTOM OF
A STARGAZER L-10-11 AIRPLANE INSTEAD OF A

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STATIONARY LAUNCH PAD.

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THE STARGAZER TOOK OFF FROM CAPE CANAVERAL
AIR FORCE STATION ABOUT 45 MINUTES AGO – YOU

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CAN SEE IT THERE ON YOUR SCREEN, WITH THE
PEGASUS ATTACHED TO ITS BELLY.

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THIS AIRCRAFT, THE WORLD’S ONLY OPERATIONAL
AIR-LAUNCHING SYSTEM; IS A MOBILE LAUNCH PLATFORM

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THAT CAN BE DEPLOYED FROM ANYWHERE IN THE
WORLD.

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THE PLANE WILL RELEASE THE ROCKET 50 MILES
OFF THE COAST OF FLORIDA AT APPROXIMATELY

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9:30 THIS EVENING.

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THIS IS THE FIRST OF TODAY’S TWO POSSIBLE
DROP ATTEMPTS.

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WHAT YOU’RE SEEING NOW IS A BIRD’S EYE
VIEW OF STARGAZER’S FLIGHT PATH.

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THE PATH FOLLOWS A LONG, OVAL LOOP, ALSO KNOW
AS THE RACETRACK.

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WHEN THE PLANE REACHES A CERTAIN POINT ON
THE PATH, THE STARGAZER WILL DROP THE PEGASUS

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ROCKET.

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IF THE FIRST ATTEMPT IS A NO-GO, STARGAZER
WILL LOOP BACK TO THE “SWEET SPOT” AND

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MAKE A SECOND DROP ATTEMPT BY 10:55 PM, WHICH
IS WHEN THE LAUNCH WINDOW CLOSES.

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NOW HERE ARE A FEW MORE QUICK FACTS ABOUT
THE MISSION.

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ONCE ICON IS LAUNCHED AND REACHES 40,000 FEET,
IT WILL BE RELEASED AND FREE FALL FOR 5 SECONDS

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BEFORE ITS FIRST-STAGE ROCKET MOTOR IGNITES.

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THE LAUNCH SEQUENCE FROM DROP TO PAYLOAD SEPARATION
WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY ELEVEN AND A HALF

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MINUTES.

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THE PEGASUS XL IS OVER 57 FEET LONG AND WEIGHS
NEARLY 53,000 POUNDS.

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ICON WEIGHS NEARLY 650 POUNDS—ABOUT AS MUCH
AS A VENDING MACHINE.

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WHEN IN ORBIT, THE SATELLITE WILL TRAVEL AT
MORE THAN 4 MILES PER SECOND.

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THAT’S ALMOST 30 TIMES FASTER THAN A COMMERCIAL
AIRLINER!

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ICON WILL STUDY CHANGES IN THE IONOSPHERE,
WHERE EARTH’S WEATHER MEETS SPACE WEATHER.

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THE SATELLITE’S SOLAR ARRAY IS OVER 8 FEET
LONG AND 2 FEET WIDE—A LITTLE BIGGER THAN

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A COMMON DOOR.