The test program developing parachutes for the Orion MPCV (Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle) includes drop tests of a Parachute Test Vehicle designed to emulate the wake of the Orion capsule. Delivery of this test vehicle to the initial velocity, altitude, and orientation required for the test is a difficult problem involving multiple engineering disciplines. The available delivery aircraft options imposed constraints on the test vehicle development and Concept of Operations. This paper describes the development of this test technique. The engineering challenges include the extraction from an aircraft and separation of two aerodynamically unstable vehicles, one of which must be delivered to a specific orientation with reasonably small rates. The desired attitude is achieved by precisely commanding the separation point using on-board monitoring of the motion. The design of the test vehicle is described. The trajectory simulations and other analyses used to develop this technique and predict the behavior of the test article are reviewed in detail. The application of the technique on several successful drop tests is summarized.
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