Parachutes for ExoMars 2016
Designing and testing the Parachute Assembly Sub-System for ExoMars Schiaparelli
Vorticity was responsible for the parachute assembly engineering and wind tunnel tests for the 2016 ExoMars Schiaparelli EDM.
Activities included:
definition of the parachute system,
performance analysis,
development of the controller and instrumentation used to conduct the wind tunnel tests of the parachute system.
The image below shows the testing of the 12 m main parachute in the NASA Ames 120 ft x 80 ft wind tunnel. Vorticity also led the successful supersonic testing of smaller parachutes in the NASA Glenn 10 ft x 10 ft tunnel.
Schiaparelli 12m DGB parachute testing in the wind tunnel at NASA AMES