Part 7: Shuttle Parachute Problems – Manual Deployment
The chute cord is attached to the escape pole by a lanyard
The parachute is worn over ACES (the Advanced Crew Escape Suit). The intended method for escaping from the Shuttle is to blow the hatch, then hook the parachute’s D-ring to a lanyard on the Shuttle’s escape pole, and bail out. Imagine paratroopers making a static line combat jump. It’s a jury-rigged system, not originally part of the Shuttle design. It was intended to be used when the Shuttle was intact and in a controlled glide.
The parachute can also be deployed manually. This would be necessary if something goes wrong with the lanyard deployment. The parachute pack does have an automatic Seawater Activated Release System (SEAWARS) that releases the parachute on contact with saltwater (but apparently not in fresh water, e.g. a lake). The parachute does not have an automatic deployment system in case the astronaut were to be unconscious or badly injured.
The report noted that devices for automatically deploying a parachute are used by military and sport parachutists. It recommended that such a mechanism be employed to protect unconscious astronauts. Implementation would not seem to be difficult for the Shuttle program.
