Lockheed Martin Drop Tests

[dreada5]

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/wms/findPage.do?dsp=fec&ci=15432&rsbci=0&fti=111&ti=0&sc=400<br />What advantage would this have over conventional parachute landing system ie Soyuz?<br /><br />Is this system supposed to counteract a weight issue for a returning CEV?

 

[najab]

><i>What advantage would this have over conventional parachute landing system ie Soyuz?</i><p>This is not a replacement for parachutes. It is simply a way of cushioning the 'bump' at the bottom. Soyuz has a soft landing system as well: a 15 foot or so long probe dangles down below the vehicle, as soon as it touches the ground a set of soft landing rockets fires to kill the vertical velocity. (I'm going by memory here that it's a physical probe. Is there perhaps a radar involved as well?)</p>

 

[erauskydiver]

"The probe on the lanyard touched the ground and a charge cut the strap to allow the canopy to open. (I bet that was an exciting jump!)"<br /><br />Ooo, I wonder if we could convince Performance Designs to come out with a new canopy like that. Weeeee!!

 

[propforce]

Hmmm.... it looks like the crew escape vehicle will have <font color="yellow">no wings</font><img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[halman]

propforce,<br /><br />Coming soon to a city or town near you, a CEV, fresh from space! With no terminal guidance, "close" is 100 miles, more or less. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The secret to peace of mind is a short attention span. </div>

 

[najab]

><i>With no terminal guidance, "close" is 100 miles, more or less.</i><p><br />Of the 34 US manned missions to use capsules to date, only 5 splashed down more than 15km from the designated recovery zone. One of these was the emergency landing on Gemini 8 and the other was caused by an equipment failure on Mercury 7.<p>With the use of a ram air parachute or similar system there is no reason to assume that pinpoint landings aren't possible. Remember: for a a capsule a runway is an option, for a winged vehicle it is <b>mandatory</b>.</p></p>

 

[nacnud]

"I think a lifting body like the Lockheed OSP concept is the leading candidate."<br /><br />Is that the flat iron style similar to the Russian Clipper?<br />