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This is an unflown ringsail (main) parachute from the Mercury program. Approximately 63 feet in diameter when deployed, it is made mostly of nylon. After deployment of a drogue parachute, the ringsail parachute deployed at an altitude of about 10,000 feet to help slow the capsule before it landed on the ocean.

The Radioplane Division of Northrop Corporation made this artifact. 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 Mercury and 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
Country of Origin United States of America Type EQUIPMENT-Parachutes Manufacturer Radioplane Div., Northrop Corporation
 Dimensions Approximate (as photographed): 20.32 x 952.5 x 274.32cm (8in. x 31ft 3in. x 9ft)
Storage (Rehoused in Short PSC): 123.2 × 115.6 × 69.2cm, 79.8kg (48 1/2 × 45 1/2 × 27 1/4 in., 176lb.)
 Materials Nylon, Synthetic Fabric, Cadmium Plating, Steel, Aluminum
 Inventory Number A19720466000 Credit Line Transferred from NASA Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.