This paper presents the results of the supersonic inflation tests of parachutes for the European Space Agency (ESA) Aerodynamics of Download Systems: Parachutes programme. The test articles were 170 mm and 340 mm nominal diameter models of Disk-Gap-Band (DGB) parachutes. The tests were carried out at the CNRC 1.5 m × 1.5 m supersonic wind tunnel in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada at Mach numbers of 1.6, 1.8, 2.0 and 2.25 during the autumn and winter of 2012. The results showed expected drag coefficient and inflation characteristics to be in agreement with current theory and models. The key results show: an increasing trend of non-dimensional inflation time with increasing Mach number; a decreasing trend of mean drag coefficient with increasing Mach number; and a smaller mean drag coefficient for the parachutes with smaller nominal diameter.
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