Spacecraft Not Slowing Down Fast Enough to Deply Parachute - It Always Breaks off No Matter When I Deploy it

[Randy Bobandy]

The heat on the ship is no problem, but the air can't slow it down fast enough, so even when I reach Kerban's ground level, it's still going too fast to deply the chute. If i deploy it before reentry then of course it burns up. Does this mean i always have to save some fuel to slow down before reentry? Note this is just a vertical climb to ~100km, and back down.

[A Fat, Angry Serval]

It means you're coming in too steep. You need to have a more shallow re-entry angle.

[margalus]

you cannot come straight in at that speed. You have to come in at a shallow angle to bleed off enough speed in the thin upper atmosphere to keep from burning up in the thick atmosphere down lower, or just not slowing down enough if you are lucky enough to not burn up. You want to come in so shallow that your periapsis is still above ground.

[Yxklyx]

Also, don't burn while you're descending. It'll make your angle steeper. I always aim for 30-35 K Kerbin periapsis with my light craft.