Pegasus is a satellite-launching space rocket dropped from a B52 carrier aircraft instead of launching vertically from a ground pad. Its three-year, privately-funded accelerated development was carried out under a demanding design-to-nonrecurring cost methodology, which imposed unique requirements on its flight test program, such as the decision not to drop an inert model from the carrier aircraft; the number and type of captive and free-flight tests; the extent of envelope exploration; and the decision to combine test and operational orbital flights. The authors believe that Pegasus may be the first vehicle where constraints in the number and type of flight tests to be carried out actually influenced the design of the vehicle. During the period November 1989 to February of 1990 a total of three captive flight tests were conducted, starting with a flutter clearing flight and culminating in a complete drop rehearsal. Starting on April 5, 1990, two combination test/operational flights were conducted. A unique aspect of the program was the degree of involvement of flight test personnel in the early design of the vehicle and, conversely, of the design team in flight testing and early flight operations. Various lessons learned as a result of this process are discussed throughout this paper.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Pegasus Air-Launched Space Booster Flight Test Program


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    1995-03-01


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Pegasus Air-Launched Space Booster Flight Test Program

    A. L. Elias / M. A. Knutson | NTIS | 1995


    Pegasus Air-Launched Space Booster Flight Test Program

    Elias, A. L. / Knutson, M. A. / North Atlantic Treaty Organization et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1995


    Aerodynamic flight research using the Pegasus air-launched space booster

    MEYER, JR., ROBERT / CURRY, ROBERT / BUDD, GERALD | AIAA | 1992


    Aerodynamic flight research using the Pegasus air-launched space booster

    Meyer, Robert R., Jr. / Curry, Robert E. / Budd, Gerald D. | NTRS | 1992


    Overview of the Pegasus Air-Launched Space Booster

    Lindberg, Robert E. | SAE Technical Papers | 1989