Major General Brings Flight-Test Tales to UTSI
Major General Doug Pearson is the Air Force’s only bona-fide “satellite-killing pilot,” and a long-time expert in flight tests. He share his experiences during a special luncheon meeting with the Tennessee Section of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) on Thursday, November 1, 2018, at the UT Space Institute (UTSI).
Pearson spoke about his flight test of the ASM-135 anti-satellite missile in September 1985. In that test, he flew above the Pacific Ocean, launched the ASM-135 from his F-15, and successfully destroyed the Air Force’s Solwind Satellite.
Pearson is currently the Deputy General Manager of National Aerospace Solutions. The retired Major General of the Air Force also previously commanded the Flight Test Center, and was formerly a Lockheed-Martin vice president in charge of F-35 flight testing. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in aerospace engineering.