Is there such a thing as a rocket opening parachute? In other words a rocket attached to a metal static line that pulls a parachute

out of a bag and makes it open almost instantaneously?

I am thinking of safe ways of testing a tilt rotor aircraft.

Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor. The Rotary Engine NewsLetter. Powered by Linux.

ACRE NL web site. http://www.rotaryeng.net Copyright 1998-2006 All world wide rights reserved.

All of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo spacecraft had them attached to the
nose of the capsule. The rocket would have pulled the capsule away from
the exploding booster and then the parachutes would have come out to
gently lower the capsule to the ground.  So such things exist and do
work with a high degree of reliability.

Pictures of the system:

small overview:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Launch_escape_system_diagram.jpg/400px-Launch_escape_system_diagram.jpg
photograph c Wikipedia

large and detailed:
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/spacecraft/q0140.shtml
photo c Aerospaceweb.org

Picture of a test:
http://history.nasa.gov/SP-350/i4-18.jpg
photograph c NASA
Les


The Rotary Engine NewsLetter. Powered by Linux.
ACRE NL web site. http://www.rotaryeng.net
Copyright 1998-2006 All world wide rights reserved.