The Pegasus MissionPegasus II Descent and Landing

The Challenge of Descent• The craft must be signaled to release its delivery system (balloon) from the ground.

• The delivery system must cleanly separate from the craft and deploy a small drogue parachute to keep the craft upright during high velocity descent.

• The craft will descend at the rate of its terminal velocity from 100,000 feet to 12, 000, i.e., falling 88,000 feet very at high speed.

• The telemetry sent from the craft during descent is used to compute the altitude of the craft 90 seconds into the future. The process that performs these calculations running in Microsoft Azure Data Center, i.e., cloud process.

• The cloud process must trigger a command to be sent to craft to release the main parachute at 12,000 feet.

• The main parachute must deploy cleanly and softly to save the craft from destruction.

• The craft lands gently and we collect the onboard video and instrumentation and live to fly again.

4 Phase Flight Operation

Phase 1 – Apex Ascent• Pegasus II reaches goal altitude

• 100,000 ft

• Delivery System is operational

Phase 2 – Delivery System Release DSR• The DSR command is sent to the

craft from the cloud

• The craft separates from the delivery system

• Telemetry from craft confirms the DSR execution

• The drogue parachute deploys cleanly with bridle attached to payload

Phase 3 – Rapid Descent (HALO Drop)• The craft accelerates to 305 mph in

rarified air on the drogue and begin decelerating from that point.

• The 2’ drogue parachute cleanly deploys

• The drogue is bridled to the craft

• The deployment bag (D-Bag) that houses the main parachute is also attached to the drogue and the payload

• No tension exists between the drogue and the D-Bag

• The craft falls 88,000 feet on the drogue at its terminal velocity

Phase 4 – Main Parachute Deployment• The Main Parachute

Deployment command is sent from the cloud to the craft at 12,000 feet.

• The drogue is separated from the craft and is now putting tension on the D-Bag.

• The D-Bag moves up releasing the main 7’ parachute.

• The D-Bag continues pulling the main up, cleanly deploying the main parachute.

• Speed decreases from 23 m/s to 5 m/s for landing.

Logistics• Launch Site : Cheyenne WY

• Launch Date: Week of September 7th

Pegasus IIDare Mighty Things