In 1990, the company successfully carried out eight space missions, highlighted by the initial launch of the Pegasus rocket.

April 21 - A Pegasus rocket carries the remains of 24 people into earth orbit, in the first space burial.

The Pegasus rocket was dropped from the L-1011 'Stargazer' aircraft.

The Pegasus rocket for small satellites instead launches from an aircraft at an altitude of 12 km.

The remains, taken aloft in an American Pegasus rocket, will orbit every 90 minutes for perhaps 2 years, perhaps as many as 10.

It is based on the air-launched Pegasus rocket from the same manufacturer.

Instead of a $60 million rocket, both will be flown on $12 million Pegasus air-launched rockets.

Details of its airplane-launched Pegasus rocket, which the Pentagon is expected to contract for in the next few weeks, were announced last week.

The modified Pegasus rocket which was launched from a B-52 mother ship at an altitude of 13,157 meters (43,166 ft).

The defense agency, the first paying customer for the Pegasus rocket, is a pioneer in the development of small satellites.