Atmospheric Braking Technology

Atmospheric braking plays a key role in the process of entry, descent and landing (EDL) to atmospheric planets. The main functions required for atmospheric braking include braking to a specific terminal descent speed, providing stability (preventing the parachute from rolling or meeting the pointing requirements of instruments and devices) as well as providing differences in the ballistic coefficients of various components for separation and providing the altitude and time scale required for the EDL process.