Exhibit 5.1


                           Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
                                One Logan Square
                             18th and Cherry Streets
                        Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103


April 20, 2001


Pegasus Satellite Communications, Inc.
c/o Pegasus Communications Management Company
225 City Line Avenue
Suite 200
Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania 19004

                     Re: Registration Statement on Form S-4
                         ----------------------------------
Ladies and Gentlemen:

         As counsel to Pegasus Satellite Communications, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), we have assisted in the preparation and filing of
the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the "Registration Statement"),
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), relating to (i) $193,100,000 in
principal amount at maturity of the Company's 13-1/2% Senior Discount
Subordinated Notes due 2007 (the "New Senior Discount Subordinated Notes"), to
be issued by the Company in exchange for $193,100,000 in principal amount at
maturity of Golden Sky DBS, Inc.'s 13-1/2% Series B Senior Discount Subordinated
Notes due 2007 (the "Old Senior Discount Subordinated Notes") and (ii)
$195,000,000 in principal amount of the Company's 12-3/8% Senior Notes due 2006
(the "New Senior Notes" and together with the New Senior Discount Subordinated
Notes, the "New Notes"), to be issued by the Company in exchange for
$195,000,000 in principal amount of Golden Sky Systems, Inc.'s 12-3/8 % Series A
and B Senior Subordinated Notes due 2006 (the "Old Senior Notes" and together
with the Old Senior Discount Subordinated Notes, the "Old Notes"). The New Notes
will be issued pursuant to Indentures (the "Indentures"), between the Company
and First Union National Bank, as Trustee, which have been filed as exhibits to
the Registration Statement.

         In this connection, we have examined the originals or copies, certified
or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the Certificate of Incorporation
and By-laws of the Company, as amended, minutes and resolutions of the Company's
Board of Directors and such other documents and corporate records relating to
the Company and the issuance of the New Notes as we have deemed appropriate. We
express no opinion concerning the laws of any jurisdiction other than the
federal law of the United States, the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
and the Delaware General Corporation Law, and we express no opinion on the "blue
sky" or securities law of any jurisdiction. In that connection, we note that the



Indenture provides that it is governed by the laws of the State of New York. We
are not familiar with those laws and express no opinion about them. With your
permission, we have assumed, solely for purposes of this opinion, that the
Indentures will be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
notwithstanding their express terms. We express no opinion about what law will
actually govern the Indentures.

         In all examinations of documents, instruments and other papers, we have
assumed the genuineness of all signatures on original and certified documents
and the conformity with original and certified documents of all copies submitted
to us as conformed, photostatic or other copies. As to matters of fact that have
not been independently established, we have relied upon representations of
officers of the Company.

         On the basis of the foregoing, it is our opinion that the New Notes
have been validly authorized for issuance and, upon execution of the New Notes
by the Company, authentication of the New Notes by the Trustee and issuance and
delivery of the New Notes in the manner provided in the Indentures and the
Registration Statement (including the exchange of the Old Senior Subordinated
Discount Notes and the Old Senior Notes for the New Senior Subordinated Discount
Notes and the New Senior Notes, respectively, as set forth in the Registration
Statement), the New Notes will be legally issued and constitute binding
obligations of the Company, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other laws affecting the
rights of creditors generally and subject to general principles of equity
(regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding in equity or at
law).

         We hereby consent to the reference to our firm under the caption "Legal
Matters" in the Prospectus included in the Registration Statement and to the
filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. This does
not constitute a consent under Section 7 of the Securities Act as we have not
certified any part of the Registration Statement and do not otherwise come
within the categories of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 or
the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.


                                                  Very truly yours,


                                                  /s/ Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

                                                  DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH LLP


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