Parachutes ain't' easy!

Discussion about deployment systems including altimeters, timers, air speed flaps, servo systems, and chemical reactions.
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Tim Chen
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Parachutes ain't' easy!

Post by Tim Chen »

You think you have problems getting your parachutes to deploy? Check this out:

[youtube][/youtube]
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Spaceman Spiff
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OUCH!

Post by Spaceman Spiff »

That's gonna leave a mark!
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reno1
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Re: Parachutes ain't' easy!

Post by reno1 »

Glad to see that we aren't the only ones! LOL
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Spaceman Spiff
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Re: Parachutes ain't' easy!

Post by Spaceman Spiff »

reno1 wrote:Glad to see that we aren't the only ones! LOL
I was reading a blog about this today and the parachute they were testing isn't what failed in the video. They reported that there's 10 extra chutes that are not part of the Orion Capsule Recovery System involved in the test. They use chutes called "Programmer" chutes to get the capsule oriented the correct way and going the proper speed and they test the true recovery system under thos conditions. A "programmer" chute failed and the capsule fell too fast when the capsule's chutes deployed and they ripped right off, except for one. It was going way to fast because of the test rig failing.

So, it's not quite as bad as it looks. The whole thing failed because the test rig broek down before the test actually began.
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Tim Chen
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Re: Parachutes ain't' easy!

Post by Tim Chen »

Spaceman Spiff wrote:
reno1 wrote:Glad to see that we aren't the only ones! LOL
I was reading a blog about this today and the parachute they were testing isn't what failed in the video. They reported that there's 10 extra chutes that are not part of the Orion Capsule Recovery System involved in the test. They use chutes called "Programmer" chutes to get the capsule oriented the correct way and going the proper speed and they test the true recovery system under thos conditions. A "programmer" chute failed and the capsule fell too fast when the capsule's chutes deployed and they ripped right off, except for one. It was going way to fast because of the test rig failing.

So, it's not quite as bad as it looks. The whole thing failed because the test rig broek down before the test actually began.

It's good to know the design is not at fault. I worry that the budget cuts and the ruch job they have been doing to get the Orion ready as soon as possible after the Shuttle retires may have caused the problem that made the crash.
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U.S. Water Rockets1
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Re: Parachutes ain't' easy!

Post by U.S. Water Rockets1 »

We have had our fair share of fatalities due to parachute failure. It's always been a highly stressful period when the rocket reaches apogee. Now that our rockets go farther than can be seen with the naked eye, we've added a parachute deploy status signal to our telemetry. You can imagine how nerve wracking it is when you cannot see the parachute deploy, so we can check the telemetry and know the parachute has slowed the descent long before we would have a visual confirmation. This cuts the period of uncertainty down a lot and helps reduce the duration of those stressful moments.
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