PARACHUTE

At Skyrora, we use parachute recovery systems to enable the reuse of certain rocket parts. Take a look at how these parachute recovery systems work by taking part in our parachute activity here!  

THE SCIENCE BEHIND SKYRORA’S PARACHUTE ACTIVITY

This parachute experiment provides an examination of how a parachute recovery system allows for the safe landing of Skyrora’s test rockets.
When the parachute is released, the weight pulls down on the strings and opens a large surface area of material that uses air resistance to slow it down. The larger the surface area the more air resistance and the slower the parachute will drop.
When we launch our small rockets, the motor runs for a short period of time. Pushing it up to maximum speed it then coasts upwards to maximum height and slows down to a near halt. Sensors in the rocket detect when it has reached this point and activate a small pyrotechnic charge to push out the parachute. This makes for a slow descent and a safe landing.
A parachute recovery system enables certain parts of the rocket to land safely and therefore ensures reusability of important equipment. Skyrora’s small rockets allow us to test various avionics and onboard systems in preparation for use on our full-size vehicles.