Brian Thorn wrote:
But isn't there a point where your spacecraft is just getting too big
to land under parachutes? X-38 already had the largest airfoil ever
flown, and it was still small compared to the conventional wisdom on
OSP designs.

X-38 had the largest parafoil I am aware of being made or tested.
But very large parachute clusters have been used repeatedly and
successfully in the past. The Army has airdropped stuff in that
size range for decades and decades.

And keep in mind... a capsule is going to be lighter for the same
capabilities, as it doesn't have all those dead weight wings etc.


-george william herbert