Press Release
☷NASA tests Starliner parachutes at U S Army Yuma Proving Ground
U.S. Army ( By Press Release office)
Jan 14,2024
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“We are the only place in the United States where they can get all the support needed for this type of testing . ” Drop testing of Starliner ' s updated main parachutes was conducted on a cool , clear morning in the second week of January . “We were only collecting data on the main canopies because that is the only aspect we made changes to . ” McMichael stated . "The entire Starliner system has been rehabilitated , except for the electrical power . " The Starliner ' s parachute system consists of two forward heat shield canopies , two mobile parachutes , and three main mortar - deployed parachutes . However , for testing , only two main parachutes were used . "The system is designed to operate with only one or two dots of electrical current and meets all requirements" McMichael explained . "It can withstand a parachute or main parachute failure . " Several individuals were present at the isolated drop zone where the arrow was fired . Meanwhile , other personnel at Mission Control miles away were supervising all aspects of the test . Control room personnel had multiple views of the test element from ground and aerial cameras mounted on the pursuit planes , which were a pair of Black Hawk helicopters that day . They can communicate with ground and air crews and control air traffic through other tests . Instead of using an actual Starliner capsule , evaluators used a test arrow . “We were trying to do a stress test , which is much easier to do with darts because they fall a little faster than a capsule . ” McMichael explained . "For the test target , an arrow was the appropriate vehicle , and dropping it from a C130 was the appropriate test method . " The arrow was launched from a NASA C - 130 cargo plane at an altitude of 13 , 000 feet and an airspeed of 145 knots . It was extracted from the cargo hold on a pallet , then separated from the platform and slowed by two decoy parachutes used as programmers , followed by deployment of the Starliner ' s two main parachutes . The two main parachutes , which were attached to Kevlar risers , with a diameter of 104 feet , slowed the descending arrow to a landing speed of less than 24 mph . After landing , YPG and NASA personnel fanned out across the drop zone to carefully retrieve deployed parachutes . The packed parachutes were transported back to the air delivery complex , where they were suspended from a tall shaking tower and inspected . YPG Engine Group workers used a large crane to lift the massive test dart onto a lowbed trailer for transport to a NASA charter hangar at Yuma International Airport . “NASA employees were very satisfied with our support . ” Mullins stated . "It ' s always interesting and complicated when they come out for testing . "
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