Design, development and test of a compact lightweight capsule recovery system

Abstract

This paper reports about the development and test of a recovery system for small capsules, originally developed for the YES2 satellite launched in 2007, that included a miniature re-entry capsule, Fotino. The system includes a beacon and parachute, an activation system, and a compact spring-based parachute ejection system, initiated by a pyrotechnic device. Design challenges were low mass (few hundred grams), low volume (the ejection system is the size of a shoe-polish box) and (de)installation possible with minimal access. High ejection energy was required (about 15 J) to eject the parachute even reliably from a spinning fast-dropping capsule. The system can be used for recovery of lightweight capsules and probes released from orbit, sounding rockets or high altitude balloons. The overall design approach has been hands-on, goal-oriented and pragmatic, due to time and budget constraints. Pros and cons of this approach are highlighted. The paper reports on design, trade-offs and the successful qualification of the various systems involved and the mechanism in particular. Unfortunately the capsule has not been recovered yet, but analysis of its whereabouts and possible reasons of lack of beacon signal will be discussed. Nevertheless, a reflight is foreseen, as the successful qualification and overall mass and dimensional properties make the recovery system an attractive option for future small capsules and probes.