[Satellite Today 05-22-09] Alliant Techsystems (ATK) in cooperation with NASA, the U.S. Army and the United Space Alliance (USA), completed a drop test of the three main parachutes that will slow the descent of the Ares I first stage booster, allowing it to be recovered, refurbished, and reused, ATK announced May 20.
    ATK, the prime contractor for the first stage of the Ares I launch vehicle, said that the parachute test was conducted by dropping a 41,500-pound weight from a C-17 aircraft at an altitude of 10,000 feet. The three main test parachutes deployed at an altitude of about 4,500 feet and lowered the test weight to the desert floor.
    The parachutes were designed and manufactured by USA at the Kennedy Space Center under a subcontract to ATK. To date, ATK and its partners have conducted three pilot chute tests, two drogue chute tests and two single main parachute tests. This is the first cluster parachute test for the Ares I program.
    The parachutes will undergo operational testing this fall, ATK said.