The SRBs *did* have chutes.
http://spaceline.org/rocketsum/solid-rocket-boosters.html
[snip] The drogue parachute has a diameter of 54 feet, and is used to orient and stabilize the descent of each SRB to a tail-first attitude in preparation for the deployment of the main parachutes. About 248 seconds after SRB separation and at an altitude of about 6,000 feet, deployment of the main parachutes begins. Three main parachutes are deployed on each SRB. Each main parachute has a diameter of 136 feet. The main parachutes accompany each SRB to water impact, which occurs about 295 seconds after SRB separation at a speed of about 81 feet per second.
Three main parachutes are deployed on each SRB. Each main parachute has a diameter of 136 feet. The main parachutes accompany each SRB to water impact, which occurs about 295 seconds after SRB separation at a speed of about 81 feet per second.”
Each chute has a diameter about 1 and half times the length of a basketball court and 81 ft. per sec is about 55 mph.
These are 3 huge chutes and the rocket is still coming in at 55 mph.
I stand corected~! (mulitple times)
I was just out of high school when i was working at a place that made the throttle control arms. The first one came back ripped like a piece of paper. Inc and a half thick metal was torn like nothing. It was kinda freaky to see