slow motion video

• Fully loaded capsule recovery  chamber
• First testing of changed capsule nose ejection charge position.  Originally I had it above the chutes but because of the results from flight 1a, I decided to put it below the chutes. This increases the chance the chute will be deployed even if the nose cap comes off prematurely. 
• First test firing the ejection charge with the tower still in place. This is to verify that the tower will be blown free if stuck as in flight 2b.
• 1 gram of BP
• Looking to see how well the Nomex will protect the chutes in such a tight chamber
• Test the aluminum tape technique of holding on the nose cap for the free fall

Results

• Clean deployment
• Aluminum tape broke cleanly
• No significant burn issues
• Tower blown free without issue
• Successful deployment of the drogue chute

slow motion video

• First decoupling test
• Fully loaded capsule (except for tower)
• Attached deployment bag to test booster drogue extraction
• Shear pins

Results

• Good solid capsule decoupling
• Good evidence that the drogue chute will deploy
• No evidence of any structural issues (this was the early version of the heat shield)

slow motion video

• First decoupling test after the redesign of the coupling system
• Fully loaded capsule (except for tower)
• Shear pins
• 1/2 gram of BP (pretty sure it was 1/2 gram)

Results

• Good solid capsule decoupling
• Interesting gray plume when the charge first goes off, no doubt the dog barf
• Slight burning on the base of the capsule

slow motion video

• Second decoupling test after the redesign of the coupling system
• Partially loaded capsule (no astronaut or hatch)
• Heavier shear pins
• Full gram of BP
• Two Davey ematches, to test the configuration used for flight 2c
• Stuffed PVC with "dog barf" wadding to see what effect it might have on the flame.

Results

• Good solid capsule decoupling
• Interesting gray plume when the charge first goes off, no doubt the dog barf
• Slight burning on the base of the capsule