Pyrotechnically Actuated Gas Generator Using Aqueous Methanol

The largest supersonic parachute ever developed is one of the test articles on the Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test (SFDT) vehicle of the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) project. The typical method for deploying a supersonic parachute from an entry vehicle, by firing it from a mortar, is not viable for this application due to its noncentral location on the vehicle and the associated high reaction force. Instead, the parachute is pulled off the vehicle using the Parachute Deployment Device (PDD). The PDD uses a ballute, a smaller, balloon-like, soft-good drag body that maintains positive internal pressure by ingesting air at supersonic speeds through a set of ram-air inlets. The PDD, being significantly smaller than the supersonic parachute, is deployed using a mortar.