A free-flight test of a subscale aeroshell/drogue parachute model was conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center Vertical Spin Tunnel. Mass properties for the aeroshell model were dynamically scaled. This test simulated the flight of the Dragonfly mission spacecraft at an altitude of 18.4 km above the surface of Titan (Saturn’s largest moon). The aeroshell/drogue parachute model exhibited bimodal oscillatory behavior with sustained small- and large-amplitude modes depending on initial conditions. The effects of drogue parachute size, bridle geometry, and bridle rigidity on the aeroshell/drogue parachute dynamics were investigated. The large-amplitude oscillations seemed to be driven by the aeroshell aerodynamics, with bridle leg collapse being an enabling factor. If the bridle legs were rigid, large-amplitude oscillations were not sustainable.


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    Title :

    Free-Flight Dynamics of an Aeroshell/Drogue Parachute System


    Contributors:
    Juan R Cruz (author)

    Conference:

    26th AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Conference and Seminar ; 2022 ; Toulouse, FR


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English