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Alliant Techsystems (ATK) and United Space Alliance (USA) successfully conducted the first two in a series of six main parachute drop tests in the development of the deceleration system for the first stage of NASA’s Ares I crew launch vehicle.

The 1-ton, 150-foot Ares main parachute is the largest parachute of this type in use today. The parachute was designed and manufactured by USA at Kennedy Space Center under a subcontract to ATK, the Ares I First Stage prime contractor. The chute is derived from the 136-foot main parachute currently used on the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs), which splash down into the Atlantic Ocean after each Shuttle launch.

“Taking the knowledge and experience we’ve gained from our work on the Space Shuttle Program and applying it to the next generation of rockets for the Constellation Program is very exciting,” said Dan Mann, USA’s Ares Stage I Program Manager.

The first parachute test in late September was conducted by extracting a 42,000-pound test unit at an altitude of 17,500 feet from a C-17 aircraft. The test unit was allowed to accelerate to a predetermined velocity, at which time the 150-foot main parachute was deployed. The second test in mid-November extracted the test unit at an altitude of 16,500 feet.

“Both tests went flawlessly and met our initial expectations,” said Mike Kahn, ATK Vice President of Space Launch Systems. “We have a great team of individuals and subcontractors who helped ensure the success of these important tests and bring us closer to full development of this new five-segment booster.”

Similar to the Space Shuttle SRBs, the Ares first stage recovery system consists of a cluster of three main parachutes deployed simultaneously during re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere prior to splashdown in the ocean. To date, three drop tests of the pilot parachute have been conducted with two more scheduled for the future.