Supersonic space parachutes
How space pushes our ordinary parachute technology to the extremes
The ESA tests a 35-metre space parachute in preparation for the upcoming ExoMars mission
© ESA
On the face of it, space parachutes might look like ordinary parachutes – cloth canopies attached to their cargo by a series of ropes – but these parachutes are anything but. After hot, fast atmospheric entry, they open into thin atmospheres, rushing past at supersonic speeds. Their job is to slow a payload down to the speed of a push bike, and if they fail, the consequences can be catastrophic. The precious payloads they protect might b multi-billion-dollar rovers bound for the surface of Mars, or four-strong human crews returning to planet Earth.