Advanced Aircraft Parachute Recovery System

SATS is NASA's efficient personal air transportation vision. SATS airplanes must strive for higher levels of safety, speed, and comfort than small airplanes currently offer. BRS proposes to explore the dynamics of parachute inflation for aircraft in this new category and develop a system that will automatically and efficiently manage the parachute deployment sequence throughout their operating envelope. A prototype system for a 5,000 lb aircraft with a speed range from 60 to 300 knots will be developed using an unmanned drop test vehicle and cargo aircraft. BRS will also work concurrently with several light jet manufacturers to define the parachute/aircraft interface requirements. These relationships are critical because it is clear that a practical emergency parachute system for this application must be an integral component of the aircraft and will require contributions from a variety of engineering disciplines. These proposed tasks ideally fit BRS's experience and capabilities.