Guided Descent System for Precisely Returning Microballoons from the Stratosphere in a High Drag, High Altitude Environment

This Phase I SBIR effort proposes a concept feasibility analysis and the design of a novel, stratospheric precision steerable parachute descent and landing system. Such a system would allow for the precise descent and landing of Urban Sky's existing stratospheric flight vehicle (the Microballoon), an ultra-low-cost, rapidly deployable, high-altitude ISR imaging system. Precision descent and landing from the stratosphere is critical for recovery and reuse of all flight systems and for ensuring these stratospheric systems can accurately steer to and land in desired (non-adversarial) areas following DoD stratospheric ISR missions.  Urban Sky has already designed, built and operationalized the first ever small, rapidly deployable, altitude-stable stratospheric remote sensing balloon (the Microballoon.) Unfortunately, the landing accuracy of these systems is, on average, ~3.25km (radius). The development of this precision steerable parachute system is critical to increasing landing accuracy of the system from the stratosphere and ensuring that the vehicle can steer towards ideal landing sites for  a significantly increased likelihood payload and vehicle recovery. It is theorized that with this additional capability, the landing accuracy of the system could be reduced to ~100m on greater than 90% of mission landings, and that the system could achieve lateral cross-range allowing it to land in desired, previously unachievable areas.  Primarily, this Phase I SBIR effort will involve the development of a simulated mathematical model for the evaluation of a steerable parachute configuration in the stratospheric environment, along with the subsequent design of the final mechanical and steerable parachute system. While there are existing custom precision parafoil descent systems for delivery of large payloads (i.e. 50lbs +) from the high-altitude environment, there are no existing "ultra-lightweight" precision high-altitude payload descent system, and none that include descent of the balloon and payload together (which is critical, as Urban Sky's balloons are reusable themselves). This proposed effort is linked to a separate Phase I SBIR submission during this AFWERX open topic cycle. This steerable parachute capability, when combined with the stratospheric, long-duration station-keeping capability proposed under Proposal #FX224-OCSO1-0996, would produce the final-state ISR solution desired by DIU, AFSOC A2X and Army SMDC.