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This is a Gemini ringsail drogue parachute test article. Manufactured by Parasystems Inc. in 1964, it is made largely of nylon and is 2.4 m (8 ft) in diameter when fully deployed. Carried in the Rendezvous and Recovery Section at the front of the capsule, the drogue parachute deployed to stablize the spacecraft before the deployment of the main parachute, which occurred with the separation of the Rendezvous and Recovery Section.

In 1971, McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company in St. Louis transferred many leftover artifacts from the Gemini program to the Smithsonian on behalf of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, including this parachute. The former McDonnell Aircraft Corporation had manufactured the Gemini spacecraft.

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Date 1964 Country of Origin United States of America Type EQUIPMENT-Parachutes Manufacturer Parasystems, Inc.
 Dimensions Approximate: 12.7 x 340.36 x 154.94cm (5in. x 11ft 2in. x 5ft 1in.) (as photographed)
 Materials Ripstop nylon, Synthetic Fabric, Adhesive, Steel, Nylon
 Inventory Number A19720502001 Credit Line Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration through the McDonnell-Douglas Corporation Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.