Simulation of Dropping of Cargo With Parachutes

Decelerator System Simulation (DSS) is a computer program for predicting and analyzing the dynamics of a load of cargo dropped with parachutes from an aircraft. A DSS simulation runs from the first motion in the aircraft until the payload reaches the ground. Intended for use in support of airdrop tests for the X-38 program, DSS was developed by modifying and augmenting an older program, denoted UD233A, used for simulating the dynamics of a space-shuttle solid rocket booster falling with a parachute. The main effort in converting UD233A into DSS involved development of computational models for simulating the inflation of one or more parachute( s), the dynamics of the payload and the slings connecting the parachute( s) with the payload, and the extraction of the payload and parachutes from the aircraft.