1. Pegasus experiences a widerangeof flow conditions over a typical flight. Launch from the 8-52 occurs at M, =0.8at a low angle of attack. Theangleofattack immediately increases to nearly 20 dcg as Pegasus accelerates through the transonicregime to supersonic speed. By M, =3, the angleof attackisdown to 5 deg, and by M, = 6 it is nearly zero degrees. Different missions dictate differentangle of attack and Mach number envelopcs. Typical flight profiles from thr first two nightsaredescribed in a later section. Geometry
2. I'cgasus provides a unique opportunity to obtain flight test data in flowregimes which aredifficult,ifnot impossible, to achievein ground tests. However, it is important to remember that Pegasusis not a research vehicle, and every flight is an operational flight with a primary objective to deploy a working satellite. This crcatcd asignificant challengeto theflight testenginccrs as the data nced to be obtained with minimal interfurenceon the mission and its schedule, and the flight trajectory was determined by payload requirements, not test conditions. More information about the flight test procedures and data isavailable 3-6