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NASA Puts Orion Backup Parachutes to the Test


Craig

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http://lunarscience.nasa.gov/articles/nasa-puts-orion-backup-parachutes-to-the-test/


 


NASA completed the latest in a series of parachute tests for its Orion spacecraft Thursday at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground in southwestern Arizona, marking another step toward a first flight test in 2014. The test verified Orion can land safely even if one of its two drogue parachutes does not open during descent.

 


Orion will take humans farther into space than ever before, but one of the most challenging things the multipurpose vehicle will do is bring its crew home safely. Because it will return from greater distances, Orion will reenter the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of more than 20,000 mph. After re-entry, the parachutes are all that will lower the capsule carrying astronauts back to Earth.


 


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Hmmm interesting stuff. Makes my regular descents of up to 150mph (outside of a craft of any kind to be fair) seem rather tame :)

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