▁the ▁Service ▁Module ▁of ▁a ▁functional ▁space craft . ▁Upon ▁reaching ▁orbit , ▁the ▁bo iler plate ▁Command ▁and ▁Service ▁modules ▁were ▁j ett ison ed . ▁ ▁The ▁traject ory ▁and ▁space - fixed ▁velocity ▁were ▁very ▁nearly ▁as ▁planned . ▁The ▁Apol lo ▁shr oud ▁separated ▁from ▁the ▁Peg as us ▁satellite ▁about ▁ 8 0 4 ▁seconds ▁after ▁lift - off ▁and ▁deployment ▁of ▁two ▁meteor oid ▁detection ▁panel ▁wings ▁of ▁the ▁Peg as us ▁satellite ▁comm enced ▁about ▁ 1 ▁minute ▁later . ▁ ▁Oper ations ▁Peg as us ▁ 1 ▁was ▁operated ▁in ▁a ▁low ▁Earth ▁orbit . ▁On ▁ 1 8 ▁March ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁it ▁was ▁catalog ued ▁as ▁being ▁in ▁an ▁orbit ▁with ▁a ▁per ige e ▁of ▁ ▁and ▁an ▁ap og ee ▁of ▁, ▁incl ined ▁at ▁ 3 1 . 7 ▁degrees ▁to ▁the ▁Equ ator ▁and ▁with ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁ 9 7 . 0 0 ▁minutes . ▁Once ▁in ▁orbit , ▁the ▁pan els ▁were ▁deployed ▁to ▁detect ▁mic rom eteor oid ▁impact s . ▁Ex periment ▁results ▁were ▁returned ▁to ▁Earth ▁by ▁radio . ▁The ▁space craft ▁operated ▁until ▁ 2 9 ▁August ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁and ▁subsequently ▁remained ▁in ▁orbit ▁until ▁it ▁decay ed ▁and ▁re enter ed ▁the ▁atmosphere ▁on ▁ 1 7 ▁September ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁Although ▁minor ▁mal functions ▁occurred ▁in ▁both ▁the ▁launch ▁vehicle ▁and ▁the ▁satellite , ▁the ▁mission ▁was ▁a ▁success ▁in ▁that ▁all