LIDAR Parachute Drag Study
An experiment to verify that increasing parachute surface area increases aerodynamic drag — using a LIDAR rangefinder to measure descent velocity across chutes of different sizes.
This experiment tested whether increasing parachute surface area produces a measurable increase in aerodynamic drag — a foundational question in recovery system design. Descent velocity was measured using a time-of-flight LIDAR rangefinder, which provided accurate speed data throughout the parachute's descent phase.
Multiple parachutes of different diameters were tested under controlled drop conditions. LIDAR velocity measurements were used to calculate drag coefficients for each configuration and compared across sizes. Results confirmed the expected correlation and provided measured drag coefficient data to validate against analytical predictions.