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Flight Test of a 30-Foot Nominal Diameter Cross Parachute Deployed at a Mach Number of 1.57 and a Dynamic Pressure of 9.7 Pounds per Square FootA 30-foot (9.1-meter) nominal-diameter cross-type parachute with a cloth area (reference area) of 709 square feet (65.9 square meters) was flight tested in the rocket-launched portion of the NASA Planetary Entry Parachute Program (PEPP). The test parachute was ejected from an instrumented payload by means of a mortar when the system was at a Mach number of 1.57 and a dynamic pressure of 9.7 psf. The parachute deployed to suspension-line stretch in 0.44 second with a resulting snatch-force loading of 1100 pounds (4900 newtons), Canopy inflation began at 0.58 second and a first full inflation was achieved at approximately 0.77 second. The maximum opening load occurred at 0.81 second and was 4255 pounds (18,930 newtons). Thereafter, the test item exhibited a canopy-shape instability in that the four panel arms experienced fluctuations, a "scissoring" type of motion predominating throughout the test period. Calculated values of axial-force coefficient during the deceleration portion of the test varied between 0.35 and 1.05, with an average value of 0.69. During descent, canopy-shape variations had reduced to small amplitudes and resultant pitch-yaw angles of the payload with respect to the local vertical averaged less than 10 degrees. The effective drag coefficient, based on the vertical components of velocity and acceleration during system descent, was 0.78.
Document ID
20070030994
Acquisition Source
Langley Research Center
Document Type
Video
Authors
Eckstrom, Clinton V.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Preisser, John S.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
March 1, 1968
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Report/Patent Number
L-994
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
TESTS
EXPERIMENTS

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