Thank you muthu lakshmi for inquiring about what happens when Loon balloons need to be brought down ahead of...
Originally shared by Loon
Thank you muthu lakshmi for inquiring about what happens when Loon balloons need to be brought down ahead of schedule. Parachuting is trickier at higher altitudes because the air is thinner, so there’s less for the parachute to grab onto as the balloon descends. So why not make the parachute larger? Turns out, the additional weight would require a bigger balloon to carry it, which would then require an even bigger parachute to safely catch that bigger balloon, which would then require an even bigger balloon to carry that bigger parachute… Sam, an aerospace engineer on Loon, explains the engineering that’s gone into resolving this parachute paradox.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y5AUHw8pRk
Thank you muthu lakshmi for inquiring about what happens when Loon balloons need to be brought down ahead of schedule. Parachuting is trickier at higher altitudes because the air is thinner, so there’s less for the parachute to grab onto as the balloon descends. So why not make the parachute larger? Turns out, the additional weight would require a bigger balloon to carry it, which would then require an even bigger parachute to safely catch that bigger balloon, which would then require an even bigger balloon to carry that bigger parachute… Sam, an aerospace engineer on Loon, explains the engineering that’s gone into resolving this parachute paradox.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y5AUHw8pRk
Super cool to get a look inside the lab of project loon. Thanks for the share Joe Philley
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