Ares I Parachute System will be used Operationally On Ares
I-X
Alliant Techsystems, along with
NASA, the U.S. Army, and United Space Alliance (USA), has
successfully conducted the third in a series of four Ares I main
parachute drop-tests. These tests aid the development of the
deceleration system for the Ares I First Stage solid rocket motor.
The test was conducted at the Army's Yuma Proving Grounds.
The test consisted of extracting a 72,000 pound test payload
from a C-17 aircraft flying at 25,000 feet, tying the record for
largest single payload pulled from a C-17. Following the
extraction, a 60,000 pound test article (jumbo dart) was separated
from the pallet. The jumbo dart was then allowed to accelerate to
the desired conditions before the 150-foot-diameter main parachute
was deployed. The objective of this test was to develop and measure
a load on the main parachute similar to that expected during Ares I
flight.
Courtesy U.S. Army Yuma Proving
Grounds
"This is yet another successful milestone for the Ares I
program, which has been steadily progressing over the past four
years," said Mike Kahn, executive vice president of ATK Space
Systems. "We are looking forward to seeing this parachute system
function in just a matter of weeks during the launch of Ares
I-X."
The newly-developed Ares I parachute system is already packed
and ready to be used operationally during the flight test of Ares
I-X, a full scale launch vehicle with an inert upper stage. Ares
I-X is one of many systems that will provide valuable flight data
that will aid in finalizing the design of Ares I.
Courtesy U.S. Army Yuma Proving
Grounds
The Ares I launch vehicle, which is slated to replace the Space
Shuttle, utilizes a five-segment reusable solid rocket developed
from the twin four-segment boosters used to launch the Space
Shuttle. Like the recovery system for the shuttle boosters, the
Ares first stage recovery system will consist of pilot and drogue
chutes that reorient and decelerate the used solid rocket motor
prior to deploying a cluster of three main parachutes. Due to the
added weight of the extra segment on Ares I and the higher apogee
reached by the Ares first stage, the main parachutes for the Ares
recovery system were designed to be 20% larger than the one
currently used on the shuttle boosters. The parachutes were
designed and manufactured by USA at the Kennedy Space Center under
a subcontract to ATK.
Courtesy U.S. Army Yuma Proving
Grounds
To date, ATK and its partners have successfully conducted three
pilot, two drogue, three single main, and one main cluster
parachute drop tests. Four additional parachute drop tests are
planned over the next two years. Ares I-X will be the next test of
the entire system, followed by further testing next spring.