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Flight Test of a 30-Foot Nominal-Diameter Disk-Gap-Band Parachute Deployed at Mach 1.56 and Dynamic Pressure of 11.4 Pounds per Square FootA 30-foot (9.1 meter) nominal-diameter disk-gap-band parachute (reference area 707 sq ft (65.7 m(exp 2)) was flight tested with a 200-pound (90.7 kg) instrumented payload as part of the NASA Planetary Entry Parachute Program. A deployment mortar ejected the test parachute when the payload was at a Mach number of 1.56 and a dynamic pressure of 11.4 lb/sq ft (546 newtons per m 2 ) at an altitude of 127,500 feet (38.86 km). The parachute reached suspension line stretch in 0.37 second resulting in a snatch force loading of 1270 pounds (5650 N). Canopy inflation began 0.10 second after line stretch. A delay in the opening process occurred and was apparently due to a momentary interference of the glass-fiber shroud used in packing the parachute bag in the mortar. Continuous canopy inflation began 0.73 second after initiation of deployment and 0.21 second later full inflation was attained for a total elapsed time from mortar fire of 0.94 second. The maximum opening load of 3915 pounds (17,400 newtons) occurred at the time the canopy was first fully opened. The parachute exhibited an average drag coefficient of 0.52 during the deceleration period and pitch-yaw oscillations of the canopy were less than 5 degrees. During the steady-state descent portion of the test period, the average effective drag coefficient was about 0.47 (based on vertical descent velocity and total system weight).
Document ID
20070030999
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
September 5, 1967
Subject Category
Aerodynamics
Report/Patent Number
L-968
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
EXPERIMENTS
[Division] Atmos. Phys
TESTS

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