We are creating an extremely accurate system of parachute recovery sequence. NASA's Orion Parachute System has no less than 4 parachute groups (with 11 parachutes in total) that get deployed at different phases of re-entry:
- Forward bay cover parachute - 3 small parachutes that help detach forward bay cover from the Orion capsule
- Drogue parachute - 2 larger parachutes designed for high speed deployment that slow down capsule and stabilise it at upright position
- Pilot parachute - 3 small parachutes that help with deployment of the main parachute
- Main parachute - 3 large parachutes that slow the capsule down to about 20 km/h, until the splashdown.
As with everything, we're developing this with modularity in mind. Parachute object is a stand-alone physics body that has its own physics attributes defined through CFG text file. So, if you feel creative, you'll be able to design your own parachutes AND write scripts for their deployment!
Check out the screen shot of the Orion's main parachute, a part of the parachute system we're developing:
Mitch
Lead Developer
TerraBuilder