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Re: Drag chutes.

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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