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- Parachute tests successful for SpaceX, one parachute fails to deploy in Boeing test
Both Boeing and SpaceX are competing to fly NASA astronauts to the ISS. While they have their contracts already and follow-up contracts are still far away: The prestige to be first will be immense. Before they can fly humans they need to pass an extensive test program. Both capsules land with parachutes and their tests were a concern for a long time. In the last days we had two very different news.
SpaceX reported 13 successful parachute tests in a row - more than the 10 NASA requires. This should be sufficient to qualify this key system.
Edit: Elon Musk clarified that these tests were single-parachute tests. They still need 9 out of 10 multi-parachute tests.
Boeing did its pad abort test an hour ago.
Plan:
Oops.
The abort test itself looks successful, but this probably means Boeing will need another round of iterations on the parachute system.
(SpaceX performed its pad abort test in 2015 already)
Both systems are designed to land safely with one parachute missing - 3 out of 4 for Dragon or 2 out of 3 for Starliner - but you certainly don't want that to happen often.
SpaceX reported 13 successful parachute tests in a row - more than the 10 NASA requires. This should be sufficient to qualify this key system.
Edit: Elon Musk clarified that these tests were single-parachute tests. They still need 9 out of 10 multi-parachute tests.
Boeing did its pad abort test an hour ago.
Plan:
Video, the timestamp is set to 10 seconds before "launch". The three parachutes that were supposed to open are visible in the animation earlier (e.g. at 4:55). But in the real pad abort test...Roughly 26 seconds into flight, the three main parachutes on #Starliner will deploy. This allows the crew module to descend slowly and safely to the ground before touching down about 69 seconds later.
Oops.
The abort test itself looks successful, but this probably means Boeing will need another round of iterations on the parachute system.
(SpaceX performed its pad abort test in 2015 already)
Both systems are designed to land safely with one parachute missing - 3 out of 4 for Dragon or 2 out of 3 for Starliner - but you certainly don't want that to happen often.
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