Soyuz descent module parachute oscillations

[pschroeter]

Last night I thoroughly enjoyed watching the landing of a Soyuz capsule carrying the Expedition 31 crew. One of the things I noticed during the decent module’s ten minute trip to the ground was the capsule’s one parachute seemed to pulsate. It seemed to me that it would flatten out slightly then round up over and over, sort of bob up and down a little.

Can anyone explain to me a little more what was going on? I wonder if it this was how the parachute spilled air, but would think there is a vent hole at the top. I wonder if the crew can feel it.

I also wonder if the soft landing rockets, which fire moments before the capsule touches the ground, didn’t fire evenly, wouldn’t they flip the capsule violently onto its side?

[Daggerstab]

I also wonder if the soft landing rockets, which fire moments before the capsule touches the ground, didn’t fire evenly, wouldn’t they flip the capsule violently onto its side?

I think that in that moment, the capsule is still hanging from the parachute - the rockets are intended only to slow the capsule down, not to lift it up. So if the solid motors don't fire evenly, it will just swing like a pendulum. And Soyuz capsules often end up on their side, AFAIK, though I think it's usually the parachute that drags them down.