Mars Science Laboratory's Parachute Qualification Approach

The Mars Science Laboratory mission will use a 21.5 meter reference diameter Viking scaled disk-gap-band parachute to slow the entry body from supersonic to low subsonic speeds during its entry into the Martian atmosphere. This parachute is larger than any diskgap-band parachute tested or flown in the high Mach, low dynamic pressure opening conditions that are required for use on a Mars surface mission. Early in the development process it was decided that qualification of the parachute via high altitude high Mach testing was cost prohibitive so direct testing would not be performed. Instead, the JPL team formed a qualification strategy to address readiness for flight by breaking the parachute’s function down into five key phases of operation: mortar deployment, canopy inflation, inflation strength, supersonic performance, and subsonic performance, which are then independently assessed. This paper addresses the salient aspects of these five phases and the Mars Science Laboratory’s methodology and test results that were used to qualify the parachute for flight in the absence of a full scale high altitude test program.