NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Collections About News Help Login
Back to Results
Effect of Orion Post-Touchdown Parachute Release Time on Vehicle RolloverThe effects that the Orion parachutes have on the vehicle response once the vehicle lands on the ground are examined in this report. A concern with the Orion landing is that structural accelerations will cause vehicle and/or crew injuries or that the vehicle may roll over. The parachute effects are thought to have the potential of pulling the vehicle over during conditions such as higher winds or in some cases stabilizing the vehicle by preventing its motions after touchdown. A collection of representative landing conditions is used to assess the post-touchdown parachute release effect, and it was determined that, in general, there is no significant advantage or disadvantage to releasing the parachutes past the time when the vehicle touches ground. For landing conditions when there is a high horizontal wind, retaining the parachutes has a detrimental effect on vehicle rollover because the drag force on the parachutes pulls the vehicle over. Under this condition, some form of automated parachute release should be a requirement given that an attached parachute may cause the vehicle to roll over. An automated system would ensure that the release occur within 0.50 sec of touchdown (time when parachute regains tension), which is not enough time for a crew-operated manual release.
Document ID
20080022377
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Technical Memorandum (TM)
Authors
Lawrence, Charles (NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Georgiadis, Nicholas J. (NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Littell, Justin (Akron Univ. Akron, OH, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
May 1, 2008
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Report/Patent Number
NASA/TM--2008-215066
E-16289
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 510505.05.03.07.04
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

Related Records

There are no records associated with this record.
No Preview Available