Testing Parachute for Mars Rover
Engineers test the parachute for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Rover in a wind tunnel at Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California. The parachute inflated after it was launched from a mortar into an 80 mile-per-hour wind. At 165 feet in length and 51 feet in diameter, it is the largest parachute ever built for an extraterrestrial mission. It uses a configuration called disk-gap-band, and is constructed of nylon and heavy polyester. The parachute must withstand deployment at Mach in the Martian atmosphere, where it will generate up to 65,000 pounds of drag force. The Mars Science Laboratory is being assembled and tested for launch in the autumn of 2011.
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Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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Keywords: ames, astronomy, center, experiment, experimentation, exploration, field, laboratory, mars, moffett, nasa, parachute, program, research, rover, science, space, technology, test, testing, tunnel, wind
