Research, development, and implementation of Single Surface High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) canopies offer the Marines Corps an opportunity to design and develop an optimized parachute that reduces manufacturing and overall canopy complexities, results in a significantly lighter weight parachute, and reduces packing volume due to reduced material requirements (based on similar sized traditional parafoils). Current parachute systems function well and meet the performance needed for most DoD missions; however, the Marines need a HALO parachute which weighs less, packs in a smaller volume, has a larger glide ratio, and is more maneuverable for critical assignments. The Marines will benefit from a single surface HALO parachute for personnel, payloads, and eventually drones which can drop needed supplies to Marines in remote locations. Some of these applications are one time use parachutes and others need to have a comparable lifecycle to traditional parachutes. This SBIR presents DAngelo Technologies, LLC with the technical opportunity to design and demonstrate a High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) parachute with a single surface canopy design that provides the required lift capability and survives canopy opening by leveraging high strength bonded nonwoven fabrics.
Benefit: single surface canopy design, reduced weight, improved control, reduced footprint, optimized design, design validation, sensors
Keywords: Modeling and Simulation, Modeling and Simulation, single surface, reduced canopy footprint, nonwoven, design validation
