NASA Parachute Sensor Testing Can Make Mars Landings Safer

Erick Rossi De La Fuente, from left, John Rudy, L. J. Hantsche, Adam Curry, Jeff Howell, Coby Asselin, Benjamin Mayeux, and Paul Bean pose with a test fixture, material, sensor, and data acquisition systems at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The sensor tests seek to quantify the limits of the material to improve computer models and make more reliable supersonic parachutes.

Erick Rossi De La Fuente, from left, John Rudy, L. J. Hantsche, Adam Curry, Jeff Howell, Coby Asselin, Benjamin Mayeux, and Paul Bean pose with a test fixture, material, sensor, and data acquisition systems at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The sensor tests seek to quantify the limits of the material to improve computer models and make more reliable supersonic parachutes.

Photographer NASA/Genaro Vavuris
Location AFRC
NASA Armstrong Flight Research CenterNASA ArmstrongAFRCAeronautics Research Mission Directoratesupersonic parachutesSpace Technology Mission DirectorateEarly Career Initiative FundEdwards Air Force BaseCaliforniastrain gaugesfabrictextilesinflatable structures