Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2011/08/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Frank, Funny you should mention that. With the Discoverer system, the parachute ripped and streamed because of the sudden drag force that developed on deployment. We ran wind tunnel tests and helped them develop a "reefing system", which used a reefing line to limit the amount the chute could open on deployment. After a period of deceleration, the reefing line was cut by an explosive cutter, allowing the chute to fully inflate. This led to the first successful recovery of a data capsule from the Discoverer. Jim Nichols Tullahoma, TN USA ----- Original Message ----- From: "Frank Filippone" <red735i at earthlink.net> To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug at leica-users.org> Sent: Friday, August 26, 2011 5:01 PM Subject: Re: [Leica] Before digital camera, they developed film... > AFAIK, for hi res, it was the film that was ejected from the satellite, > and > then a prop plane would catch the canisters in the air as the parachute > slowed down the speed. > > Apparently it was a very successful way to get the images back. > > Frank Filippone > Red735i at earthlink.net > > > Some of the very old histories of the first DoD camera satellites back in > the late 1950s/early 1960s indicate that some of those satellites would > develop the film on the satellite then send a scanned image back to the > tracking station. > > WWP > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >