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Re: Drag chutes.
- To: Kevin C Houston <hous0042@maroon.tc.umn.edu>
- Subject: Re: Drag chutes.
- From: kgstar@most.fw.hac.com (Kelly Starks x7066 MS 10-39)
- Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 15:00:23 -0500
- Cc: Kelly Starks x7066 MS 10-39 <kgstar@most.fw.hac.com>, David Levine <David@interworld.com>, Brian Mansur <bmansur@oc.edu>, "L. Parker" <lparker@destin.gulfnet.com>, jim <jim@bogie2.bio.purdue.edu>, KellySt <KellySt@aol.com>, rddesign <rddesign@wolfenet.com>, Steve VanDevender <stevev@efn.org>, "T.L.G.vanderLinden" <T.L.G.vanderLinden@student.utwente.nl>, zkulpa <zkulpa@zmit1.ippt.gov.pl>
At 1:21 PM 3/15/96, Kevin C Houston wrote:
>To: Kelly. (et al.)
>
>the main problem of a drag chute, is the thinness of ICM. The chutes
>only seem to work at high % of C (well above .80). we can't decell at a
>lower fraction of G than we accelerated at, or else we would have to
>start much earlier(in effect, moving the midpoint much closer to Sol)
>this would then cut down the top possible speed. because you had less
>time of 1 G accel. I think a Drag chute would work for a MARS, because
>you could save a large amount of RM by using the Chute (for about a month
>of Crew's time if I recall correctly), Then you could cut the sail loose,
>which would dropp the ship's mass by about half. i still have some slim
>hopes for the MARS, but I am going to need to spend a lot of time digging
>into it. if you want to calculate drags, go ahead. but be warned. i
>will send the numbers tommorrow (yes, Gov workers sometimes work on Sat.)
>but I don't think it will help slow us downvery much.
>
>Kevin
Hey, its worth a try. We're desperate. ;)
Calculating it would be a bear thou. You'ld have to balence crew time over
distence traveled vs drag by speed ratios. Still, I guess relativistic
numbers would pretty much drop out below .6 C. So atleast you'ld have
linear effects. Pity I hate programing Excel.
Kelly
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Kelly Starks Internet: kgstar@most.fw.hac.com
Sr. Systems Engineer
Magnavox Electronic Systems Company
(Magnavox URL: http://www.fw.hac.com/external.html)
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