NASA begins tests to qualify Orion parachutes for mission with crew Washington DC (SPX) Oct 06, 2016 - NASA successfully kicked off a series of tests Sept. 30 to qualify Orion's parachute system for flights with astronauts, a milestone that will help the agency safely return crew to Earth from deep-space missions. In the skies above the Arizona desert, a C-17 aircraft dropped a dart-shaped test article out of its cargo bay from 35,000 feet, or more than 6.5 miles, in altitude over the U.S. ... more

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