NASA official said that the opening time of one of the four main parachutes on the SpaceX Dragon ship took longer than expected as the capsule descended to Earth. After a similar incident involving the Dragon ship in November, the frightening error occurred for the second time.
NASA and SpaceX stated that they do not believe the slow-opening parachute poses a safety risk in either event, but that the parachute will be thoroughly examined. “If we can be smarter about how these systems work, if we can really make sure that this four-channel system has nominal operation, we can have a safer flight.” said.
Parachute failed to open in SpaceX Dragon capsule
NASA program manager Steve Stich has suggested that the delayed deployment of a parachute could be caused by three other canopies overshadowing one of the others, leading to a huge struggle in time.
SpaceX manager William Gerstenmaier said the delay in opening the parachute puts the Dragon capsule at risk. “This is more of a learning exercise on how we can improve our understanding of the design and engineering of parachute operation.” said.
The Dragon spacecraft is equipped with a total of six parachutes, including two that stabilize the craft upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. According to SpaceX’s website, the four main channels have the ability to slow the spacecraft down during descent.
In addition to seven astronauts, Dragon can also carry cargo to the ISS. In April, SpaceX plans to send another team of astronauts into space using a Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 launch vehicle. However, SpaceX’s goal of launching 52 rockets in a year, or an average of four rockets per month, could be hampered by such errors.
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