Recent advances in materials technology and in the aerodynamics of supersonic decelerators (i.e., Ballutes) have put a new appeal on a very old and reliable decelerator design. Initially developed nearly thirty years ago by Goodyear Aerospace, the Ballute (BALLoon-parachUTE) has successfully demonstrated through many research and production programs excellent stabilization and deceleration performance as applied to munitions, high-altitude descent devices,a nd manned ejection/recovery systems as well as its feasibility for use in planetary entry vehicles. Ballutes of varying sizes have been successfully massed produced and flown a thousand times over. Though superior in aerodynamic performance, the disadvantages of Ballutes have traditionally been bulk, weight, and cost. Often these same disadvantages have limited the use of incorporating a Ballute design and a primary supersonic decelerator and stabilizer.
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