Development of the ARIES parachute system

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:6267474

Pepper, W B; Collins, F M

The design and testing of a two-stage parachute system to recover a space telescope weighing up to 2000 pounds is described. The system consists of a 15-ft dia ribbon parachute reefed to 50% for 10 seconds and a 73-ft dia paraform or cross second stage reefed to 10% for 10 seconds. The results of eight drop tests and one operational rocket launched flight and recovery are presented. A successful operational recovery of a 1600-lb NASA space telescope was conducted at White Sands Missile Range, NM, in September 1980. The payload was launched by a second stage Minuteman rocket to an altitude of about 300 miles above sea level. An operational recovery of a 200-lb NASA space telescope is scheduled for April 4, 1981, at WSMR.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA); National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, MD (USA). Goddard Space Flight Center
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6267474
• Report Number(s): SAND-81-0208C; CONF-811002-1; ON: DE81012161
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420200* -- Engineering-- Facilities
Equipment
& Techniques
420400 -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
DESIGN
PARACHUTES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
RECOVERY
SPACE FLIGHT
SPACE VEHICLES
TELESCOPES
TESTING
VEHICLES