[snopercod]

I had the "pleasure" of listening to the release countdown of one of the earlier Pegasus vehicles. It was a real cluster-f*ck.

It was apparent that the B-52 pilot had forgotten to reset his altimeter as he passed through 18,000 feet, and was 500' high at the release time. He was desperately trying to correct at T-0.

Someone was shouting "Abort! Abort!" on the net, and some other people were saying "huh?" as the Pegasus was released.

When it comes to launch teams, you get what you pay for.

[First_Salute]

The Japanese vehicle appears very similar to this DAST vehicle:

DAST configurations:

1977 DAST flight tests; launch platform B-52:

The Japanese have been pursuing engine improvement for some time:

Inception of the Jet Engine Ground Test at the Refurbished Test Facility - Achievement of the Rated Thrust -