First parachute drop testing a success for Draco

ESA is preparing the Destructive Reentry Assessment Container Object (Draco) mission that will collect unique measurements during an actual reentry and breakup of a satellite from the inside. A capsule especially designed to survive the destruction will transmit the valuable telemetry shortly after.

In this sped-up video, critical systems for the capsule’s parachute deployment were successfully tested in April 2026 in Pamplona, Spain, by the mission’s prime contractor Indra.

Once Draco’s capsule reaches denser layers of the atmosphere (around an altitude of 10 km) and is stabilised and upright, its back shell is jettisoned, and the parachute deploys. This will let the capsule descend much slower, allowing it to connect to a satellite and upload its data. It will share anywhere from 20 MB to 1 GB, depending on the time available, before ultimately crash landing.

After the successful qualification of the parachute design, the team will now prepare for a more comprehensive, full-scale test from 25 km altitude.